noun
Alan
AL-uhn
noun
1
A member of the Alans, a nomadic Iranian-speaking people who roamed the Eurasian steppe in the first millennium AD.
"Historians trace the Alans' migrations from the steppes all the way into Roman Gaul and Iberia."
How to Use Alan
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAs a common noun, refers to the ancient nomadic Alan people; far more familiar today as the given name Alan.
Word Forms
Alans plural, Alans plural, Alani plural, Alans plural
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Historians trace the _____' migrations from the steppes all the way into Roman Gaul and Iberia.
Etymology
From Old Breton Alan, an early saints' name of disputed Celtic origin; unrelated to the historical "Alan" tribe name, which comes from an Iranian root.