An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Wanne

by Friedrich Kluge

Wanne, feminine, ‘winnowing fan,’ from the equivalent Middle High German wanne, Old High German wanna, feminine. As in the case of Wall, it is quite possible that the word was borrowed from Latin (vannus, ‘winnowing fan’). There exists, however, a genuine Teutonic stem from which Wanne can be derived. Gothic winþjan, and the equivalent English winnow (from Anglo-Saxon windwian) point to a Teutonic root winþ, ‘to winnow’ (Latin ventilare), and hence Old High German wanna might stand for *wanþna. In that case the primitive kinship with Latin vannus (from which English fan is borrowed) would be conceivable.