Weather Vain
The linguistic diversity of the weather vain
The weathervane is a well loved across the globe, so it is no wonder that it has acquired various names wherever it goes - including wind vane, weather vain, wind vane and more. No matter where you go it is still the same great instrument – just with a different name!
What exactly does the weather vain do?
The weathervane enables you to accurately name a blowing wind. It does this through careful balance and calibration – allowing the pointer to rotate freely and to settle in the source direction of a blowing wind. By aligning this direction with the compass points beneath, a user can easily identify the name of the wind.
How is a wind named?
It is a common misconception that winds are named according to where they are going, but they aren’t. They are actually named according to where they are coming from, which is why the pointer rests in the source direction of a blowing wind.
