gan

See also: Appendix:Variations of "gan"

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡæn/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æn

Etymology 1

Perhaps connected with Middle English gane, or possibly from Welsh geneu, Cornish ganau (“mouth”).

Alternative forms

• ganns, gans

Noun

gan (uncountable)

1. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) Mouth.
   • 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 3]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC:

     White thy fambles, red thy gan / And thy quarrons dainty is. / Couch a hogshead with me then. / In the darkmans clip and kiss.

Etymology 2

Verb

gan

1. (archaic) simple past of gin

Etymology 3

Probably a variant of gang, from Middle English gangen, from Old English gangan (“to step; walk; go”).

Alternative forms

• gang

Verb

gan (third-person singular simple present gans, present participle gannin, simple past went or gan, past participle gone)

1. (Northumbria) To go.
   • 2011, Chris Dockerty, Ramblings of a Geordie:

     The one problem I had here was my broad Geordie accent which the teachers tried their hardest to make me lose. I couldn't understand their problem with it because I could understand myself. Whenever I told them, "Am gannin yem", they would say, "No, Christopher. It's not "am gannin yem", it's "I am going home".

Further reading

• Frank Graham (1987) The New Geordie Dictionary, →ISBN
• Newcastle 1970s, Scott Dobson and Dick Irwin, [2]
• Todd's Geordie Words and Phrases, George Todd, Newcastle, 1977[3]
• A List of words and phrases in everyday use by the natives of Hetton-le-Hole in the County of Durham, F.M.T.Palgrave, English Dialect Society vol.74, 1896, [4]
• Northumberland Words, English Dialect Society, R. Oliver Heslop, 1893–4
• A Dictionary of North East Dialect, Bill Griffiths, 2005, Northumbria University Press, →ISBN

Anagrams

• AGN, ANG, GNA, NGA, nag

Antillean Creole

Etymology

From French gant.

Noun

gan

1. glove

Bambara

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɡã˦]

Verb

gan

1. to jump

Etymology 2

Adjective

gan

1. hot

Verb

gan

1. (transitive) to heat up

References

• 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.

Dharug

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ŋan/

Noun

gan

1. reptile
2. (specifically) goanna

References

• Jakelin Troy (1993) The Sydney Language, Canberra, →ISBN, page 53

Dutch Low Saxon

Verb

gan

1. Alternative spelling of gaon

Garo

Etymology

Borrowed from Bengali গান (gan).

Noun

gan

1. song

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish cen (“besides; without”), from Proto-Celtic *kina (“on this side of”); compare Middle Welsh am-gen (“otherwise”), Breton ken (“otherwise”).

Pronunciation

• (unstressed) IPA^(key): /ɡən̪ˠ/
• (stressed, Munster, Aran) IPA^(key): /ɡɑn̪ˠ/
• (stressed, Connemara, Mayo, Ulster) IPA^(key): /ɡan̪ˠ/

Preposition

gan (plus nominative, triggers no mutation in specific references but lenition in general references)

1. without
2. not (in conjunction with a verbal noun)

Usage notes

• In standard written Irish, triggers lenition (except of d, s, t) of unmodified nouns, e.g. gan phingin (“without a penny”). Does not trigger lenition of modified nouns, e.g. gan pingin ina phóca (“without a penny in his pocket”). In the meaning ‘not’, does not trigger lenition of either a verbal noun or on the direct object of the verbal noun, e.g. gan ceannach (“not to buy”), gan pingin a shaothrú (“not to earn a penny”).
• Unlike most prepositions, gan takes the nominative case of nouns, as shown by the lack of mutation of consonant-initial masculine singular nouns after the definite article, for example gan an plúr (“without the flour”), and the presence of t-prothesis of vowel-initial masculine singular nouns after the article, for example gan an t-airgead (“without the money”).
• Unlike most prepositions, gan does not form prepositional pronouns, but is instead followed by the disjunctive form of a personal pronoun, for example gan mé (“without me”), gan sinn (“without us”), gan é (“without him”).

Derived terms

• gan áireamh (“countless, incalculable”)
• gan aithne gan urlabhra (“comatose; dead”)
• gan amhras (“undoubtedly”)
• gan aon agó (“undoubtedly”)
• gan bhail (“invalid, void”)
• gan bheartú (“unpremeditated”)
• gan bhlas (“flavourless”)
• gan bhogadh (“still, impassive”)
• gan bhréag gan áibhéil (“in plain fact”)
• gan cháim (“flawless”)
• gan choinne (“unexpected(ly)”)
• gan choinníoll (“unconditional(ly)”)
• gan chor (“motionless”)
• gan chuimhneamh (“inadvertently”)
• gan chuimse (“limitless”)
• gan chumas, gan mhaith, gan bhrí (“impotent”)
• gan dícheall (“without fail”)
• gan doic (“unhesitatingly”)
• gan dua (“effortless(ly)”)
• gan dúshraith (“baseless”)
• gan éifeacht (“inefficient”)
• gan éislis (“without fail”)
• gan fáth gan ábhar (“for no reason whatever”)
• gan fheiceáil (“unseen”)
• gan fhios (“unknown; secretly”)
• gan locht (“blameless”)
• gan mhuinchillí (“sleeveless”)
• gan mórán achair (“shortly”)
• gan on (“faultless, unblemished”)

 

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “gan”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “cen”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Entries containing “gan” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
• Entries containing “gan” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.
• Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 21

Japanese

Romanization

gan

1. Rōmaji transcription of がん
2. Rōmaji transcription of ガン

Jawe

Noun

gan

1. tattoo

References

• André-Georges Haudricourt et Françoise Ozanne-Rivière, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (Nouvelle-Calédonie) : pije - fwâi - nemi - jawe, Lacito - Documents, Asie-Austronésie 4, SELAF no. 212, Peeters, 1982

Latvian

Conjunction

gan

1. both, and

Usage notes

Used in pairs: gan jauna, gan skaista "both young and beautiful"

Mandarin

Romanization

gan

1. Nonstandard spelling of gān.
2. Nonstandard spelling of gǎn.
3. Nonstandard spelling of gàn.

Usage notes

• Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English ġeġn.

Preposition

gan

1. Alternative form of gain (“against”)

Etymology 2

From Old English gān.

Verb

gan

1. (Early Middle English, Northern) Alternative form of gon (“to go”)

Etymology 3

From Old English gān, ġegān.

Verb

gan

1. Alternative form of gon (“gone”)

Northern Kurdish

Verb

gan (present stem -gê-)

1. to have sexual intercourse with somebody, to fuck somebody

Noun

gan ?

1. having sex, fucking

Nupe

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡã̄/

Verb

gan

1. to exceed; to surpass

   Èmì mi li gan èmì u. ― My house is cleaner than her house.

   U ge gan kpáátá. ― It's the best. (literally, “It is good surpassing all”)

   Gànsìkiya ligwa gankò. ― The truth washes the hands more than soap.

Usage notes

Used to construct the comparative and superlative.

Derived terms

• gangan (“to be too much”)
• ganganyí (“very much”)

Old Dutch

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *gān.

Verb

gān

1. to go

Conjugation

Conjugation of gān (irregular, suppletive)

infinitive	gān
indicative	present	past
1st person singular	gā	geng
2nd person singular	gest	gengi
3rd person singular	get	geng
1st person plural	gān	gengun
2nd person plural	gāt	gengut
3rd person plural	gānt	gengun
subjunctive	present	past
1st person singular	gā	gengi
2nd person singular	gās, gāst	gengis, gengist
3rd person singular	gā	gengi
1st person plural	gān	gengin
2nd person plural	gāt	gengit
3rd person plural	gān	gengin
imperative	present
singular	gā
plural	gāt
participle	present	past
	gangandi	gegangon

Derived terms

• anagān
• antgān
• bigān
• fargān

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: gâen
  • Dutch: gaan
    • Afrikaans: gaan
    • Javindo: ha, haat
    • Jersey Dutch: xân, xâne
    • Petjo: gaan, haan
  • Limburgish: gaon

Further reading

• “gān”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *gān, from Proto-Germanic *gāną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₁- (“to leave”). The verb was defective in Germanic and may only have existed in the present tense.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɑːn/

Verb

gān

1. to go
   • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, "Gospel of Saint John", chapter 21, verse 3

     Ðā cwæð Simon Petrus tō him, Ic wylle gān on fixað. Þā cwǣdon hī tō him, And wē wyllað gān mid þē. And hī ēodon ūt, and ēodon on scip, and ne fēngon nān þing on þǣre nihte.

     Then said Simon Peter to them. I want to go fishing. Then they said to him, and we want to go with you. And they went out and went in a ship, and caught nothing in the night.

   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "The Seven Sleepers"

     ...hē wolde gān ūt of ðām porte...

     ...he desired to go out of the town...

   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Chair of Saint Peter"

     ...swā hwǣr swā hē ēode and hī ealle āstōdon ansunde ætforan him þe on ðām fænne ǣr lagon.

     ...wheresoever he went, and they all rose up sound before him, who aforetime lay in the mire.

2. to walk
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Chair of Saint Peter"

     ...and hē lēop sona cunniġende his fēðes hwæðer hē cūðe gān.

     and he leapt up immediately, trying his power of motion, whether he could walk.

   • late 9th century, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History

     Sē wer meahte unēaðe þurh hine selfne ārīsan oþþe gān.

     The man could barely get up or walk by himself.

   • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, John 6:66

     Siþþan maniġe his leornungcneohta ċierdon onbæc and lenġ ne ēodon mid him.

     After that, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

3. to enter
   • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Matthew 24:38-39

     On þǣm dagum ǣr þǣm flōde wǣron menn etende and drincende, and wīfiġende and ġifte sellende, ōþ þone dæġ þe Nōe on þā earċe ēode, and hīe nysson ǣr sē flōd cōm and nam hīe ealle.

     In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they didn't know until the flood came and took them all.

Usage notes

• The expected present participle, gānde, is very rare. Instead gangende is almost always used, from the synonym gangan: Līf nis būtan gangendu sċadu ("Life is but a walking shadow").

Conjugation

Conjugation of gān (irregular)

infinitive	gān	gānne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	gā	ēode
second person singular	gǣst	ēodest
third person singular	gǣþ	ēode
plural	gāþ	ēodon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	gā	ēode
plural	gān	ēoden
imperative
singular	gā
plural	gāþ
participle	present	past
	gānde	(ġe)gān

Synonyms

• gangan

Derived terms

• begān
• foregān
• forgān
• forþgān
• ingān
• ofergān
• ofgān
• on hand gān
• tōgān
• þurhgān
• upgān
• wiþgān
• ymbgān
• ūtgān

 

Related terms

• gang

Descendants

• Middle English: gon, gan, ga; goo, goon, go
  • English: go
  • Geordie English: gan
  • Middle Scots: go, goe, gone
    • Scots: gan, gae, ga, gang
  • Yola: goe, gow, go; goeth

Old Frisian

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *gān.

Verb

gān

1. to go

Conjugation

Conjugation of gān (irregular, suppletive)

infinitive	gān
indicative	present	past
1st person singular	gā	geng
2nd person singular	gēst	gengest
3rd person singular	gēth	geng
plural	gāth	gengun
subjunctive	present	past
singular	gāe	genge
plural	gāe, gāen	genge, gengen
imperative	present
singular	gā
plural	gāth
participle	present	past
	gānde, gangande	egangen, gangen

Descendants

• Saterland Frisian: geen (simple past, past participle of gunge)
• West Frisian: gean

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *gān.

Verb

gān

1. to go

Conjugation

Conjugation of gān (irregular, suppletive)

infinitive	gān
indicative	present	past
1st person singular	*gā	gēng
2nd person singular	*gēs	gēngi
3rd person singular	gēd	gēng
plural	*gād	gēngun
subjunctive	present	past
1st person singular	*gāe	gēngi
2nd person singular	*gāes	gēngis
3rd person singular	*gāe	gēngi
plural	*gāen	gēngin
imperative	present
singular	*gā
plural	*gād
participle	present	past
	gāndi	gigangan, gangan

Descendants

• Middle Low German: gân
  • Dutch Low Saxon: gan, gaon
  • German Low German: gahn
  • Plautdietsch: gone

Salar

Etymology

Cognate with Turkmen gan.

Pronunciation

• (Dazhuang, Mengda, Hanbahe, Jiezi, Gaizi, Xunhua, Qinghai, Ili, Yining, Xinjiang) IPA^(key): [qɑn]
• (Chahandusi, Xunhua, Qinghai) IPA^(key): [qɑːn]

Noun

gan

1. blood

Derived terms

• gana (“to bleed”)

References

• Tenishev, Edhem (1976) “gan”, in Stroj salárskovo jazyká [Grammar of Salar], Moscow, page 460
• Ma, Chengjun, Han, Lianye, Ma, Weisheng (December 2010) “gan”, in 米娜瓦尔 艾比布拉 (Minavar Abibra), editor, 撒维汉词典 (Sāwéihàncídiǎn) [Salar-Uyghur-Chinese dictionary], 1st edition, Beijing, →ISBN, page 218
• 马伟 (Ma Wei), 朝克 (Chao Ke) (2014) “gan”, in 撒拉语366条会话读本 [Salar 366 Conversation Reader]‎^[5], 1st edition, 社会科学文献出版社 (Social Science Literature Press), →ISBN, page 109

• Yakup, Abdurishid (2002) “gan”, in An Ili Salar Vocabulary: Introduction and a Provisional Salar-English Lexicon‎^[6], Tokyo: University of Tokyo, →ISBN, page 104

Scots

Alternative forms

• gae, ga, gang

Etymology

From Northern Middle English gan, from Old English gān (“to go”). Past tense supplied by Old English wenden (“to wend”).

Verb

gan (third-person singular simple present gans, present participle gan, simple past went or wett, past participle been)

1. to go

Scottish Gaelic

Pronoun

gan

1. them (direct object)

   A bheil sibh gan creidsinn? ― Do you believe them?

Usage notes

• Before words beginning with b, f, m or p gam is used instead.

Related terms

Related terms

• ga
• gad
• gam
• gar
• gur
• iad

Sumerian

Romanization

gan

1. Romanization of 𒃶 (gan)

Ternate

Etymology

From older gani.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɡan]

Noun

gan

1. Alternative form of gani (“louse”)

References

• Rika Hayami-Allen (2001) A descriptive study of the language of Ternate, the northern Moluccas, Indonesia, University of Pittsburgh

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English gun.

Noun

gan

1. gun

Turkmen

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Turkic *kiān (“blood”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡaːn/

Noun

gan (definite accusative gany, plural ganlar)

1. blood

Declension

Declension of gan

	singular	plural
nominative	gan	ganlar
accusative	gany	ganlary
genitive	ganyň	ganlaryň
dative	gana	ganlara
locative	ganda	ganlarda
ablative	gandan	ganlardan

Derived terms

• gan almak
• gan dökmek
• gan ýuwutmak
• gany gaçmak

 

Further reading

• “gan” in Enedilim.com
• “gan” in Webonary.org

Vietnamese

Etymology

From Proto-Vietic *t-kaːn, from Old Chinese 肝 (OC *s.kˤa[r]) (SV: can). Cognate with Chut [Rục] təkaːn¹ ("bold").

Displaced native lòm, now only found in the compounds đỏ lòm and chua lòm.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ɣaːn˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ɣaːŋ˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ɣaːŋ˧˧]

• Audio (Hồ Chí Minh City)

  (file)

Noun

(classifier lá) gan

1. (anatomy) a liver
2. (figurative) audacity; gall; balls

   to gan ― audacious

   nhát gan / gan thỏ đế ― chicken

Noun

(classifier cây) gan

1. (botany) Malus doumeri

   Synonym: sơn tra

Adjective

gan

1. hepatic
2. courageous, brave, tough

Derived terms

Derived terms

• cả gan
• gan béo
• gan dạ
• gan góc
• gan ngỗng béo
• to gan

 

Anagrams

• nga, Nga

Volapük

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɡan]

Noun

gan (nominative plural gans)

1. (male or female) goose

Declension

declension of gan

	singular	plural
nominative	gan	gans
genitive	gana	ganas
dative	gane	ganes
accusative	gani	ganis
vocative 1	o gan!	o gans!
predicative 2	ganu	ganus

• ¹ status as a case is disputed
• ² in later, non-classical Volapük only

Hypernyms

• böd
• nim

Hyponyms

• ganil

Derived terms

Terms derived from gan "goose"

• ganablöt (“breast of goose”)
• ganafoad (“goose liver”)
• ganafoadabastet (“pâté de foie gras, goose liver pâté”)
• ganalecek (“goose-pen, enclosure for geese”)
• ganaleplüm (“goose quill”)
• gananäst (“goose's nest”)
• gananög (“goose's egg”)
• ganapinod (“goose fat”)
• ganapüladil (“goose giblets”)
• ganaskin (“goose skin”)
• ganigaledan (“gooseherd”)
• nifagan (“snow goose”), Chen caerulescens

See also

• barnig (“brant goose, brent goose”), Branta bernicla

Welsh

Etymology 1

From Middle Welsh cant, from Old Welsh cant, from Proto-Celtic *kanta. Cognate with Breton gant and Ancient Greek κατά (katá, “against; downwards”).

Pronunciation

• (North Wales, standard, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ɡan/
  • (North Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ɡɪn/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ɡan/
• Rhymes: -an

Preposition

gan (triggers soft mutation)

1. (North Wales) used with bod to indicate possession

   Synonym: gyda

   Mae gen i wallt hir.

   I have long hair.

   (literally, “Long hair is with me.”)

2. by (after a passive construction)

   Cafodd y car ei ddwyn gan ddau llanc.

   The car was stolen by two youths.

3. by (authorship)
4. used with verbal noun to indicate an action simultaneous with that of the main verb, while, whilst
   • King, Gareth (1993) Modern Welsh: A Comprehensive Grammar (Routledge Grammars), London and New York: Routledge, →ISBN, page 131:

     Aeth o gwmpas y stafell gan ofyn yr un cwestiwn i bawb.

     He went around the room [while] asking everyone the same question.

Usage notes

See gan on Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru for more information.

Inflection

Personal forms (literary)

	Singular	Plural
First person	gennyf	gennym
Second person	gennyt	gennych
Third person	ganddo m ganddi f	ganddynt

Personal forms (colloquial)

	Singular	Plural
First person	gen i, gin i	gennyn ni, ganddon ni, gynnon ni
Second person	gen ti, gin ti	gennych chi, ganddoch chi, gynnoch chi
Third person	ganddo fe/fo, gynno fo m ganddi hi, gynni hi f	gennyn nhw, ganddyn nhw, gynnyn nhw

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡan/
• Rhymes: -an

Adjective

gan

1. Soft mutation of can.

Noun

gan

1. Soft mutation of can.

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
can	gan	nghan	chan
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Wolof

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

gan (definite form gan gi)

1. stranger
2. guest

Yoruba

Alternative forms

• gẹ̀n (Òǹkò)

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡã̀/

Verb

gàn

1. (transitive) to disparage, criticize, belittle

   Synonyms: pẹ̀gàn, ṣáátá, ṣàbùkù, kẹ́gàn

   ọ̀tá mí gàn mí ― my enemy disparages me

Usage notes

• gan before a direct object

Derived terms

• aganni
• agàn (“critic”)
• ẹlẹ́gàn (“disparager”)
• ẹ̀gàn (“rebuke, criticism”)
• kẹ́gàn (“to cricitize”)
• pẹ̀gàn (“to rebuke”)
• ṣẹ̀gàn
• ìgàn

 

Related terms

• lámèyítọ́ (“critic”)

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

• gẹn (Òǹkò)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡã̄/

Verb

gan

1. (intransitive) to become stiff, to harden

   kankéré ti gan ― The concrete has hardened

Derived terms

• Aganjú (“orisha of the wilderness”)
• ìgan
• agan

Etymology 3

Alternative forms

• gẹ́n (Òǹkò)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡã́/

Verb

gán

1. (transitive) to stub, to clear (plants or a forest)

   Synonym: ṣán

   àgbẹ́ gán' igbó ― The farmer cleared the forest

Derived terms

• agán
• gángbó
• gánlẹ̀
• gánpápá
• ìgán

 

Etymology 4

Alternative forms

• gẹ́n (Òǹkò)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡã́/

Verb

gán

1. to use something very sparingly

   Synonym: sún

   mo ń gán owó lò ― I am using money very sparingly

Derived terms

• agán
• gánlò
• ìgán

 

Etymology 5

Alternative forms

• gẹ́n (Òǹkò)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡã́/

Verb

gán

1. to hit something with a thrown or spun object

   mo ń gán owó lò ― I am using money very sparingly

Derived terms

• agán
• gángbó
• gánlọ
• gánpa
• ìgán

 

Etymology 6

Alternative forms

• gẹ́n (Òǹkò)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡã́/

Verb

gán

1. to tack or stich something together

   Synonym: rán

   mo gán etí aṣọ pọ̀ ― I hemmed the edge of the cloth together

Derived terms

• agán
• gánpọ̀
• gánṣọ
• ìgán

 

Related terms

• gbá (“to stich together the edges of a mat”)

Etymology 7

Alternative forms

• gẹ́n (Òǹkò)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡã́/

Verb

gán

1. to snatch something in the air, especially with one hand

   Synonyms: hán, wọ́n

   mo fọwọ́ gán bọ́ọ̀lù náà pákó ― I used my hand to snatch the ball swiftly from the air

Derived terms

• agán
• gánpákó
• ìgán