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A German "end of the year" 2020 overview of absurdities and rather funny trends mentions British "Corona talk" about the German words

  • Stoßlüften = impact ventilation,
  • Querlüften = cross ventilation,

coming from The Guardian:

Impact ventilation, or Stosslüften, which needs explanation for most people unfamiliar with Germany except for experts in air hygiene, involves widely opening a window in the morning and evening for at least five minutes to allow the air to circulate. Even more efficient is Querlüften, or cross ventilation, whereby all the windows in a house or apartment are opened letting stale air flow out and fresh air come in.

The idea at first sight was to get around any Latin or Greek roots (I would call it "Lenglish" and "Grenglish"). Mind that even "air" is Greek. The question:

Which English words can be chosen for "impact ventilation" and "cross ventilation" that root entirely in the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family?

  • The words do not have to be West Germanic, it is just first choice.
  • They can be "dead or alive", old or new.
  • Noun phrases as in the example are not necessary, you can also use verbs instead. It is likely that verbs can fit in the text above using gerund, and even if that is not the case, the idea will still add value.
  • Even barely recognizable / uncommon words can be good ideas, obviously, if there is nothing better to find. Moreover, other people might also get new ideas from such an answer.
  • The accepted answer is chosen regarding sound, usage, history, or any other background.
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    Just wondering... what if there are no such words that are common? That is, what if the only germanic root words are obscure, archaic, barely recognizable by native speakers? Also, is it necessary to have noun phrases? (because 'air out the place' is 'how you say it')
    – Mitch
    Dec 31, 2020 at 17:20
  • @Mitch, even old English words would be good to be mentioned, even if they are barely recognizable: better than nothing. This is just an experiment what could be real, and if there is something that is still alive and Germanic, I would be surprised. Anyway, Greek and Latin rooted words should not be the only words for this easy thing of airing out, be it in history or in future. Perhaps Frisian / Low German / Old-Norse can give a hint, or just High German, as is put in the example. The question is open for new and old ideas, this is perhaps a bit of "language building".
    – questionto42
    Dec 31, 2020 at 18:24

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