fan Italian · revision 38803

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1933|origins=la fānum}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈfan/, /ˈfɛn/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''fan''' ''m or f'' by sense (plural fans)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|en|fan]], recorded in English from 1879 as a clipping of [[m|en|fanatic]].^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968) Nocentini takes the English word from [[fr|fanatique]], which, like Italian [[fanatico]], goes back to [[la|fānāticus|t=inspired by a god; belonging to a temple]], from [[m|la|fānum|t=temple]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DELI 1999|fanatico)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is 1933, in Paolo Monelli, who scorned the word: film writers who wanted to seem important used it, and they could have said ''fanatico'', or borrowed ''tifoso'' from football.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) In 1942 Migliorini's appendix glossed it as one who is fanatical about film stars or football.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word was first linked to the cinema and to star actors, and then to singers and to the whole of show business.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) It is used for both men and women, mostly unchanged in the plural, though ''i fans'' is also written.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011) The sense “supporter of a football team” is less common.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) The compound ''fan club'' is dated 1990.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1879 – English ''fan'' is recorded as a clipping of ''fanatic''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1933 – Monelli records the word in Italian.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1942 – Migliorini's appendix records it as “fanatic for film stars or football”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1990 – ''Fan club'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # An enthusiastic [[m|en|admirer]], especially of a star of film, music or television: ''All'uscita del teatro la aspettavano centinaia di fan.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(less common)'' A [[m|en|supporter]] of a sports team; a [[tifoso]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[fan club]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fanatico]]

+ * [[tifoso]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ It is pronounced /ˈfan/ in Italian, beside the English /fæn/.^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) ''Fan'' is also a shortened poetic form of ''fanno'', “they do”.^(Wiktionary) GRADIT has a separate ''fan'', the ethnic name of the Fang peoples of Gabon, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, recorded from 1892.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}