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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

Explanations are written by a local model (gemma4) and only published after a verification pass against the cited sources. How it works.

English

fan

/fæn/
A hand-held device consisting of concertinaed material, or slats of material, gathered together at one end, that may be opened out into the shape of a sector of a circle and waved back and forth in order to move air towards oneself and cool oneself.

    Etymology graph

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    • borrowed
    • derived
    • parts
    • meaning component
    • sound component
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    Origin

    Etymology 1

    Inherited from Middle English fan, inherited from Old English fann (“a winnowing, fan”), derived from Latin vannus (“fan for winnowing grain”), derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁- (“to blow”).

    Cognates

    * Latin ventus (“wind”)

    * Dutch wan (“winnowing basket”)

    * German Wanne (“winnowing basket”)

    * Swedish vanna (“a fan for winnowing”)

    * Old English windwian (“to fan, winnow”).

    More at winnow.

    Etymology 2

    Clipping of fanatic, originally in US baseball slang. Possibly influenced by fancy (“group of sport or hobby enthusiasts”), i.e. fancy boy (“fan”).

    Etymology 3

    From Cantonese 分. Doublet of fen and hoon.

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • derivedEnglishfanatic “Fanatical.”
      • learned borrowingLatinfānāticus
      • derivedFrenchfanatique
    • derivedEnglishfancy “The imagination.”
      • derivedMiddle Englishfansy
        • derivedOld Frenchfantasie
      • inheritedMiddle Englishfancien
        • derivedOld Frenchfantasier
    • rootProto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁- “to do, put, place, set”
    • borrowedCantonese分

    Related: English fen (doublet), English hoon (doublet), Latin ventus, Dutch wan, German Wanne, Swedish vanna, Old English windwian

    Words built on it: 飯

    Meanings

    noun
    1. A hand-held device consisting of concertinaed material, or slats of material, gathered together at one end, that may be opened out into the shape of a sector of a circle and waved back and forth in order to move air towards oneself and cool oneself.
    2. An electrical or mechanical device for moving air, used for cooling people, machinery, etc.
    3. The action of fanning; agitation of the air.
    4. Anything resembling a hand-held fan in shape, e.g., a peacock’s tail.
    5. An instrument for winnowing grain, by moving which the grain is tossed and agitated, and the chaff is separated and blown away.
    6. A small vane or sail, used to keep the large sails of a smock mill always in the direction of the wind.
    verb
    1. To blow air on (something) by means of a fan (hand-held, mechanical or electrical) or otherwise.
    2. To slap (a behind, especially).
    3. To move or spread in multiple directions from one point, in the shape of a hand-held fan.
    4. To dispel by waving a hand-held fan.
    5. To perform a maneuver that involves flicking the top rear of an old-style gun.
    6. To invigorate, like flames when fanned.

    Sources

    • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Wiktionary: fan