Abaniko
Encyclopedia
An abaniko is a type of hand-held fan
that originated from the Philippines
. The abaniko, together with the baro't saya
, was once a part of a lady's attire. Various ways of using and holding the abaniko may convey different meanings. For example, an open abaniko that covers the chest area is a sign of modesty while rapid fan movements express the lady's displeasure.
Abaniko is also the name given to a slashing blow, resembling a fanning motion, that is used in the martial art of Eskrima
.
abanico (a fan), a diminutive form of the Portuguese
abano, and deriving ultimately from the Latin vannus (a winnowing fan), a word related to ventus (the wind).
Fan (implement)
A hand-held fan is an implement used to induce an airflow for the purpose of cooling or refreshing oneself. Any broad, flat surface waved back-and-forth will create a small airflow and therefore can be considered a rudimentary fan...
that originated from the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The abaniko, together with the baro't saya
Baro't saya
Baro't saya is the unofficial national dress of the Philippines and is worn by women. The name is a contraction of the Tagalog words baro at saya, meaning "dress and skirt".-History:...
, was once a part of a lady's attire. Various ways of using and holding the abaniko may convey different meanings. For example, an open abaniko that covers the chest area is a sign of modesty while rapid fan movements express the lady's displeasure.
Eskrima
Eskrima is the umbrella term for the traditional martial arts of the Philippines, which emphasize weapon-based fighting with sticks, knives and other bladed weapons, and various improvised weapons...
.
Etymology
The word abaniko is from the SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
abanico (a fan), a diminutive form of the Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
abano, and deriving ultimately from the Latin vannus (a winnowing fan), a word related to ventus (the wind).