Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
RAAN, n. A disease of turnips (ne.Sc., Kcb. 1967).Abd. 1950 Abd. Press & Jnl. (13 Jan.):
Particularly widespread among turnip crops on northern farms this winter — due largely to the hot and dry summer conditions — is the disease of raan, or brown heart, which impairs both the flavour and feeding values of the roots for live stock.Abd. 1951 Huntly Express (25 May):
Another disease the farm-folk call “broon-hert” and the scientists call “raan” is prevalent in some seasons.
Hence raaned, ppl.adj., of turnips: affected with this disease (ne.Sc., Kcb. 1967); also fig. of an imperfectly cooked scone: doughy in the middle (Kcb. 1967).
[Possibly fig. usage of Rawn, a fish roe, from a fancied similarity in appearance.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Raan n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Apr 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/raan>
