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.
TARAN, n. The soul or spirit of a child who has died before baptism. Gael.Sc. 1775 L. Shaw Hist. Moray 307:
Children dying unbaptized (called Tarans) wandered in woods and solitudes, lamenting their hard fate.
