Cateran

Cateran

The term cateran (from the Gaelic "ceathairne", a collective word meaning "peasantry"), historically referred to a band of fighting men of a Scotland Highland clan; hence the term applied to the Highland, and later to any, marauders or cattle-lifters.

Magnus Magnusson (awarded the Medlicott Medal of the [British] Historical Association in 1989) states in his book first published in 2000, "Scotland, The Story of a Nation" page 211, that some Highland chieftains retained substantial private armies of professional soldiers known as 'ceatharn' used against their neighbors.

Problems arose when the third royal son of King Robert II, Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan (the King's Lieutenant for areas of Scotland north of the Moray Firth) began using a force of 'caterans' himself. Subsequently, the word 'cateran' came to refer to those Highland bandits or malefactors.


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  • Cateran — Cat e*ran, n. [Gael. ceatharnach. Cf. {Kern} Irish foot soldier.] A Highland robber: a kind of irregular soldier. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cateran — [kat′ər ən] n. [Scot catherein < Gael ceathairne, common people] a Scottish Highlands brigand …   English World dictionary

  • cateran — noun Etymology: Middle English (Scots) ketharan, probably from Medieval Latin katheranus, from Scottish Gaelic ceithearn band of fighting men Date: 14th century a former military irregular or brigand of the Scottish Highlands …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • cateran — /kat euhr euhn/, n. (formerly) a freebooter or marauder of the Scottish Highlands. [1325 75; < ML cateranus, Latinized form of ME (Scots) catherein < ScotGael ceatharn; see KERN1] * * * …   Universalium

  • cateran — noun /ˈkætərən/ a) A fighting Highlander. b) A freebooter, marauder …   Wiktionary

  • Cateran — A fighting man from the Scottish Highlands. Cf. Gallowglass; Kern …   Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases

  • cateran — [ kat(ə)r(ə)n] noun historical a warrior or raider from the Scottish Highlands. Origin ME (orig. denoting the peasantry as fighters): from Sc. Gaelic ceathairne peasantry …   English new terms dictionary

  • cateran — cat·er·an …   English syllables

  • cateran — n. Sc. a Highland irregular fighting man; a marauder. Etymology: ME f. med.L cateranus & Gael. ceathairne peasantry …   Useful english dictionary

  • Spittal of Glenshee — The Spittal of Glenshee lies at the head of Glenshee in the highlands of eastern Perth and Kinross, Scotland where the confluence of many small streams flowing south out of the Grampians form the Shee Water. For centuries, there has been a hostel …   Wikipedia

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