Lan is the name attributed to a subculture and its followers in Germany. Lan subculture was created by Turkish young men in early 1990s and it was adopted by young men of various Middle Eastern origins.
The word lan (short for ulan) is a Turkish word of interjection or address that is considered to be vulgar and unconstrained. The word came to mean "guy", "dude", etc. in Germany. Its contemporary usage in German is seen as pejorative and offensive.
Lan subculture draws many similarities with pimp life-style of hip-hop. A stereotypical lan is characterised by his physical appearance (extravagant hair and beard styling, bodybuilding, sunbed tan, etc.), display of symbols of status (expensive automobiles, golden bling-blings, trademark clothing, trendy mobile phones, etc.), and use of the sociolect.
Lan subculture is often criticised by broader German public for its polarising aspects. First of all, showing aggressive behaviour is perceived to be a part of group identity. Lans also usually have a macho attitude towards young women ("protective" for Turkish girls, "seductive" for German girls), often misogynist in tone. Another point of criticism is their alleged feelings of "distrust" and "disrespect" for German people and culture.
Lans share many aesthetic characteristics with the British chav subculture.
This article lacks the historical background of this word. Lan is not created from the ulan but from la and lo. This word can be traced back to Eastern Turkish tribes. Additionally, it is one of the rare words that cannot be translated due to its meaninglessness. Furthermore, central Asian Turkic countries are still using this word. For further information please see linguistics books on Turkish, available at University of Bilkent.