The process of passing something through a sieve to separate fine particles from coarse ones, or examining something carefully to find what is valuable or relevant.
From Old English 'siftan' meaning 'to sieve', related to 'sieve' itself. The metaphorical sense of carefully examining or sorting through information developed in the 16th century, extending the physical action to mental processes.
The phrase 'sifting through evidence' perfectly captures how investigation works - like flour through a sieve, you're separating the fine, important details from the larger, less relevant material. Archaeological sifting can reveal tiny artifacts that tell huge stories about past civilizations.
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