Fans have been used since ancient times and have changed size, shape and composition with each passing generation. But it was during the 19th century that a fan was a staple of a well-dressed woman's wardrobe.

This is the language said to have been spoken by the unmarried Victorian woman.

While it seems unlikely that a particularly elaborate language would have been used by the young people of that time, it is quite possible that there was some form of communication using fans.

These days, the meanings of some of the actions is not agreed upon, and some meaning have more than one action. Here is a compiled list, but if you wish to use this language to communicate, be certain you and your erstwhile partner are using the same dialect.