divan

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a long low sofa or couch without back or arms

   She reclined on the velvet divan beneath the tall windows.

Simplified etymology

Divan entered English in the late 16th century through French and Turkish from Persian dīwān, a word with several senses, including “bench.” In furniture use it first denoted a low bench or raised floor section along a wall in Middle Eastern interiors; the modern sense developed in the late 19th century.

From Turkish divan, from Persian dīvān ('account book, register, council, council chamber, bench'). The furniture sense arose from the long cushioned benches of Middle Eastern council chambers.

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
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