"Chiefly in France or in French contexts: something, especially a screen, that provides protection against the wind; (hence in extended use) a dividing screen or partition", Mid 19th cent. From French paravent from Italian paravento from para- + vento wind.
词根para-表to ward off抵挡、击退，词根vent-表示风，与wind同源，这样，paravent因其能ward off the wind而得名。好玩的是，para-这个部分音和意都类似汉语的“屏”。同样逻辑，遮挡阳光的是parasol ['pærəsɒl] n.遮阳伞，词根sol-与sun同源，表示太阳。
