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naggen, nawken, naken, nakkin, nagin noun a Tinker; a Traveller, a Gypsy: We kent fine you were a naken, but we let you blether on… la19-. etymology: Cant; possibly a development from Scots naig ‘a horse’] In Caithness mainly used by Tinkers as the name for their ponies and hence transferred to mean a Tinker; form nawkens attested by Galloway Tinkler-Gypsies with the same meaning; form nakkin also collected by EMcC/PS and attested by BS in TDITA; and form nagin attested in Shelta; form nawken collected by Simson (1865) and attested by two of his informants; form naken attested by SS, BW; form naggen attested by JS and collected by RD note:

Simson (1865), when discussing the origins of the Gypsies noteed that in India there were two tribes called Nuts and Bazegurs and stated: In the ordinances of Menu, the Nuts, or Bazegars, are called Nata. Now, our Scottish Gipsies, at this moment, call themselves Nawkens, a word not very dissimilar in sound to Nata. Another possible root is the Hindi word nāyak ‘a hero’.