扇

fan

Kanji 1492

You might be envisioning a handheld fan as a dainty item held by a dainty woman, but war commanders used to hold fans, and fans have served as weapons! Far from being confined to a genteel world, 扇 plays a role in words about instigating trouble. Learn about two shapes of fans and see how they influence animal and plant names, as well as descriptions of many everyday objects.

Revision history:

Dec. 17, 2019: 

• p. 2: Etymology Box: Replaced the old Henshall etymology with the new one.
• p. 9: Fixed a broken link.
• p. 18: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.

June 24, 2017: Originally published.