gan
v.v. (dialect, North-East England / Geordie) to go. For example, 'gan canny' means 'go carefully'.
v. (Northern English / Scots dialect, chiefly Geordie and Northumbrian) to go — a regional variant of 'go', from the same root as 'gang'. Archaically, also the simple past of 'gin', meaning 'began' ('he gan to sing').
I'm tired, so I'll gan home now.
Are you gannin' to the match on Saturday?
The old folk song tells of a miner who must gan to the pit every morning, whatever the weather.
Usage
Chiefly spoken and dialectal — you'll meet it in Geordie/Northumbrian speech, folk songs, and regional writing rather than standard English.
Last updated June 9, 2026