GAN
v. C2 Proficiency US //ˈɡæn// UK //ɡˈæn// gan
v. to start or begin doing something. This is a very old word that you will mostly see in old stories or poems.
v. to begin or commence an action. An archaic or dialectal auxiliary verb, typically followed by an infinitive without 'to'.
The birds gan sing at dawn.
In the old manuscript, the knight gan ride toward the dark forest as the sun set.
The poet describes how the flowers gan spread their petals to the morning light, using the archaic form to evoke a sense of timelessness.
Usage
Functions as a preterite auxiliary; usually precedes a bare infinitive to indicate the start of an action.