Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1814, 1899-1908
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†VAAN, adj. Also vaun. Used only adv. in phr. to come vaan (o), esp. in fishermen's language: to fail (to get), to miss, to lose, to come short (of).Sh. 1814 Irvine MSS.:
When the tide falls they say da Ströem is come vaun.Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 241:
Whin da men o' Braken cam' vaan o' dir tows.Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
I cam' van o' a fish.
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"Vaan adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 9 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/vaan>
