Plural of clan; groups of families claiming descent from a common ancestor, especially in Scotland and Ireland, or any close-knit group of related people.
From Scottish Gaelic 'clann' meaning 'children' or 'family.' Used historically for the hereditary groups of the Scottish Highlands and Isles.
Scottish clans had their own tartans (patterns), and some people think that's ancient—but most clan tartans were actually invented in the 1800s as part of the 'romantic' Scottish revival!
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