The second word I noticed was "vannus" = winnowing fan.
In ancient times, after wheat was harvested, it had to be threshed, to separated kernels from stalks. Imagine having oxen walking on your grain. Remember in the Bible, "Thou shalt not bind up the mouths of the oxen that treadeth out the grain". I wonder if they put diapers on the oxen, or liked the added flavor. After the grain had been threshed,
it had to have dust from hulls of kernels separated by "winnowing". If you had a breeze, just tossing it up into the air on the threshing floor would carry chaff away.
If no breeze, you needed a fan....a "vannus".
fan 1
n.
5ME fanne < OE fann < L vannus, basket for winnowing grain < IE base *wc3, to blow, flutter > WIND2, WINNOW6
1 orig., a device for winnowing grain
2 any device or machine used to set up a current of air for ventilating or cooling; specif., a) any flat surface moved by hand b) a folding device made of paper, cloth, etc. which when opened has the shape of a sector of a circle c) a device consisting of one or more revolving blades or vanes attached to a rotary hub and operated by a motor
3 anything in the shape of a FAN1 (n. 2b), as the tail of a bird
4 in a windmill, a small vane that keeps the large vanes, or sails, at right angles to the wind
vt.
fanned, fan4ning 5ME fannen < OE fannian6
1 to move or agitate (air) with or as with a fan
2 to direct a current of air toward or on with or as with a fan; blow on
3 to stir up; excite
4 to blow or drive away with a fan
5 to spread out into the shape of a FAN1 (n. 2b)
6 to separate (grain) from chaff
>7 [Slang] a) to spank b) to fire (a pistol) several times quickly in succession by slapping the hammer back as with the alternate hand between shots
>8 Baseball to strike (a batter) out
vi.
>Baseball to strike out
fan out to scatter or spread out like an open FAN1 (n. 2b)
fan the air to strike at but fail to hit something
>fan 2
n.
5contr. < fol.6 a person enthusiastic about a specified sport, pastime, or performer; devotee !a baseball fan, movie fan"
OP
