Italian

Proper noun

Vanni m

1. diminutive of Giovanni

Hungarian

Verb

vanni

1. (limited usage) infinitive of van, only in the phrase "vanni van"

   Van otthon kenyér? — Is there bread at home?

   Vanni van, csak már öt napos. — Yes, there is, but it's five days old.

Usage notes

• The usual infinitive of van is lenni.
• The expression "infinitive + conjugated verb of the same verb" is used when the verb would be the topic of the sentence.
• When the verb (or rather, it's infinitive) is the topic, it means that the speaker wants to restrict the meaning of the sentence to the exact meaning of the verb, and not imply the usual associations with it.
• In the example sentence above: The speaker points out that there is bread, but the usual implication that it can be eaten, may not be true.

Italian

Etymology

Possibly from Latin vannus ‎(“winnowing basket”) (for similarity between the movement of wings and that of shaking the basket).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvan.ni/, [ˈvän̺n̺i]
• Stress: vànni
• Hyphenation: van‧ni

Noun

vanni m pl

1. (poetic, often figuratively) vans, wings
   • 1472, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno, Le Monnier (1994), Canto XXVII, p. 399, vv. 40-42:

     Ravenna sta come stata è molt'anni: ¶ l'aguglia da Polenta la si cova, ¶ sì che Cervia ricuopre co' suoi vanni

     Ravenna stands as it long years has stood: ¶ the Eagle of Polenta there is brooding, ¶ so that she covers Cervia with her vans.

   • 1827, Ugo Foscolo, "Inno terzo - Pallade", Le grazie (Opere di Ugo Foscolo, Mursia (1967)):

     Un suon, qual di lontana arpa, che scorre ¶ sopra i vanni de' Zeffiri soave; [...]

     A sound, like that of a distant harp, flowing ¶ gently above the wings of the Zephyrs;

Latin

Verb

vannī

1. present passive infinitive of vannō