winnowing fan

English

a winnower using a traditional winnowing fan

a Japanese winnowing fan being used with a winnowing basket

winnowing fans, also known as winnowing shovels

Noun

winnowing fan (plural winnowing fans)

1. A specially shaped winnowing basket, in which grain is shaken in the process of winnowing, with the shape of the basket allowing the chaff to spill out more readily.
   • 1908, Jane Ellen Harrison, Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion‎^[1], page 529:

     The wind is the natural winnower, but man can help the wind by exposing the mixed chaff and grain. This he throws up on the winnowing fan against the wind, the wind blows away the chaff and the heavier grain falls to the ground. The best instrument with which to do this is naturally an oar-like pole, broadened at the end to serve as a shovel. Such an instrument was the πτύον (ptúon) or winnowing fan.

2. Any fan device, including those electrically powered, used in winnowing.

Translations

fan used to separate chaff from grain

• Armenian: քամհար (hy) (kʻamhar)
• Azerbaijani: hövsər
• Breton: gwentell f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 風車／风车 (zh) (fēngchē)

• Finnish: löyhytin
• French: van (fr) m
• Gothic: 𐍅𐌹𐌽𐌸𐌹𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍉 f (winþiskaurō)
• Greek:

  Ancient: πτύον n (ptúon), λίκνον n (líknon)

• Japanese: 箕 (ja) (mi)
• Kikuyu: gĩtarũrũ class 7
• Latin: vannus f, ventilābrum n
• Ottoman Turkish: منشار (minşar)
• Polish: wiejadło (pl) n
• Russian: ве́ялка (ru) f (véjalka)
• Swahili: ungo (sw), uteo (sw)
• Swedish: vindsikt c
• Welsh: gwyntyll

See also

• winnowing basket
• winnowing shovel
• winnowing fork
• winnowing machine
• winnower

References

• winnowing on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Category:winnowing on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons