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”).[1]
Alternative forms
- ganns, gans
Noun
gan (uncountable)
- (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 3
Probably a variant of gang, from Middle English gangen, from Old English gangan (“to step; walk; go”).
Alternative forms
Verb
gan (third-person singular simple present gans, present participle gannin, simple past went or gan, past participle gone)
- (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".
References
- Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 158
Further reading
- Frank Graham (1987) The New Geordie Dictionary, →ISBN
- Newcastle 1970s, Scott Dobson and Dick Irwin,
- Todd's Geordie Words and Phrases, George Todd, Newcastle, 1977
- 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,
- Northumberland Words, English Dialect Society, R. Oliver Heslop, 1893–4
- A Dictionary of North East Dialect, Bill Griffiths, 2005, Northumbria University Press, →ISBN
Bambara
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ɡã˦]
References
- 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.
Dharug
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ŋan/
References
- Jakelin Troy (1993) The Sydney Language, Canberra, →ISBN, page 53
Dutch Low Saxon
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
Preposition
gan (plus nominative, triggers no mutation in specific references but lenition in general references)
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
Jawe
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
Usage notes
Used in pairs: gan jauna, gan skaista "both young and beautiful"
Mandarin
Romanization
gan
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.
Etymology 2
From Old English gān.
Etymology 3
From Old English gān, ġegān.
Northern Kurdish
Nupe
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡã̄/
Verb
gan
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.
Conjugation
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 |
Descendants
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
- 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.
- c. 990, Wessex Gospels, "Gospel of Saint John", chapter 21, verse 3
- 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.
- late 10th century, Ælfric, "Chair of Saint Peter"
- 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.
- c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Matthew 24:38-39
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
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
Derived terms
Related terms
Old Frisian
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *gān.
Conjugation
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 |
Old Saxon
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *gān.
Conjugation
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 |
Salar
Pronunciation
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], 1st edition, 社会科学文献出版社 (Social Science Literature Press), →ISBN, page 109
Scots
Etymology
From Northern Middle English gan, from Old English gān (“to go”). Past tense supplied by Old English wenden (“to wend”).
Scottish Gaelic
Usage notes
- Before words beginning with b, f, m or p gam is used instead.
Sumerian
Ternate
Etymology
From older gani.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈɡan]
References
- Rika Hayami-Allen (2001) A descriptive study of the language of Ternate, the northern Moluccas, Indonesia, University of Pittsburgh
Turkmen
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Turkic *kiān (“blood”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡaːn/
Declension
Derived terms
- gan almak
- gan dökmek
- gan ýuwutmak
- gany gaçmak
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
Volapük
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ɡan]
Declension
Hyponyms
Derived terms
- 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.[1] 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)
- (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.”)
- by (after a passive construction)
- Cafodd y car ei ddwyn gan ddau llanc.
- The car was stolen by two youths.
- by (authorship)
- 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.
- King, Gareth (1993) Modern Welsh: A Comprehensive Grammar (Routledge Grammars), London and New York: Routledge, →ISBN, page 131:
Usage notes
See gan on Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru for more information.
Inflection
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡan/
- Rhymes: -an
References
- R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “gan”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
Yoruba
Alternative forms
- gẹ̀n (Òǹkò)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡã̀/
Verb
gàn
Usage notes
- gan before a direct object
Derived terms
Related terms
- lámèyítọ́ (“critic”)
Alternative forms
- gẹn (Òǹkò)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡã̄/
Alternative forms
- gẹ́n (Òǹkò)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡã́/
Verb
gán
Alternative forms
- gẹ́n (Òǹkò)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡã́/
Verb
gán
Alternative forms
- gẹ́n (Òǹkò)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡã́/
Verb
gán
Alternative forms
- gẹ́n (Òǹkò)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡã́/
Verb
gán
Related terms
- gbá (“to stich together the edges of a mat”)
Alternative forms
- gẹ́n (Òǹkò)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡã́/
Verb
gán