divan

See also: Divan, díván, and diván

English

WOTD – 30 December 2008

Etymology

Borrowed from French, from Ottoman Turkish دیوان (divan), from Classical Persian دیوان (dēwān), from Middle Persian d(p)ywʾn' (dēwān, “archive, collected writings”), from Sumerian 𒁾 (dub). Compare mattress, from Arabic (both of Middle Eastern origin, due to the local custom of lying on padding on floor being foreign to Europeans). Doublet of dewan, douane, and diwaniya.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˈvæn/
• (US) IPA^(key): /dɪˈvæn/, /ˈdaɪ.væn/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æn

Noun

divan (plural divans)

1. (now historical) A Muslim council of state, specifically that of viziers of the Ottoman Empire that discussed and recommended new laws and law changes to a higher authority (the sultan).
2. The council chamber where this court is held; (by extension), any court of justice.
3. (now rare) Any council or assembly.
   • 1751, [Tobias] Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC:

     Startled at such an unaccountable event, they sat in close divan; and concluding that the case was in all respects unnatural and prodigious, desired that a messenger might be immediately dispatched for some male practitioner in the art of midwifery.

   • 1792, Thomas Holcroft, Anna St. Ives, vol. VII, letter 118:

     As I passed, I called at the mad-house; where I found Mac Fane and the scowling keeper in high divan.

5. (furniture) A couch or sofa-like piece of furniture made of a mattress lying against the wall and on either the floor or an elevated structure.
   • 1932, Maurice Baring, chapter 20, in Friday's Business‎^[1]:

     Eurydice pointed to the cupboard, and sat down on the low divan with folded hands, and looked at the floor.

7. (dated) An establishment that serves cigars and coffee, and may offer other amenities such as books, newspapers, and chess.

   Near-synonym: smoking room

   • 1838, Παιδἀγωγος [Paidagōgos], “Cigar divan”, in More Hints on Etiquette, 3rd edition, London: Charles Tilt, →OCLC, page 39:

     These are delightful places, and must be preferred to the cigar shops, if you can afford the extra for coffee, &c. Never sit in a divan, for as these establishments are in imitation of foreign customs, so you should imitate the manners of foreigners, and be as unlike an Englishman as you can; you should therefore lie at full-length on the couches, or "loll" about in some graceful attitude. Should your time be entirely your own, you may remain in the divan the whole day, provided you play at chess; and should you be passionately fond of smoking, you can have smoke at breakfast—smoke at luncheon—smoke at dinner—smoke at tea—smoke at supper

   • 1844, E. H. Malcolm, “London coffee-houses and their customers”, in Tegg's Magazine of Knowledge and Amusement, volume 1, →OCLC, page 67:

     The cigar divans of the metropolis are essentially coffee-rooms, but they are of a distingué character, are more expensive in their charges, and more studied, elegant, and luxurious in their appointments and conveniences. […] They are elegantly furnished and appointed, with sofas, or cushioned chairs, numerous handsome tables, and chess and draft-boards. The whole of the London newspapers, and many of the provincial ones, are taken in; as are all the magazines and other periodicals; together with sundry of the French, Italian, and colonial journals. The freedom of the room is obtained by the liquidation of less than a shilling, which includes coffee of the best description, and cigars.

   • 1855 January 5, Anthony Trollope, “A Long Day in London”, in The Warden, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, pages 266–267:

     [H]e asked her if there were any place near where he could get a cup of coffee. Though she did keep a shell-fish supper-house, she was very civil, and directed him to the cigar divan on the other side of the street. Mr. Harding had not a much correcter notion of a cigar divan than he had of a London dinner-house, but he was desperately in want of rest, and went as he was directed.

   1. (Hong Kong) A drug or cigarette den.
      • (Can we date this quote?), “Divan keeping”, in Cap. 134 Dangerous Drugs Ordinance‎^[2], section 35:

        No person shall open, keep, manage or assist in the management of a divan where a dangerous drug is sold in the divan to be smoked, inhaled, ingested or injected therein; […]

      • 2025 November 7, “4.1k arrested in anti-crime operation”, in news.gov.hk‎^[3]:

        During the operation, the Hong Kong Police Force conducted searches at about 1,700 locations, neutralising over 800 gambling dens, vice establishments, divans and unlicensed bars.

8. A collection of poems, especially one written by an author in Arabic or Persian.

Derived terms

• divan bed
• divaned

Translations

sofa

• Albanian: divan (sq) m, kanape (sq) f
• Altai:

  Southern Altai: диван (divan)

• Arabic: دِيوَان m (dīwān)
• Azerbaijani: divan (az)
• Belarusian: кана́па f (kanápa), сафа́ f (safá)
• Bulgarian: дива́н (bg) (diván), канапе́ (bg) n (kanapé)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 沙發 / 沙发 (zh) (shāfā)

• Crimean Tatar: divan
• Czech: divan (cs) m, sofa (cs) f
• Estonian: diivan
• Finnish: divaani (fi)
• French: divan (fr) m, canapé (fr) m
• Georgian: დივანი (ka) (divani)
• German: Diwan (de) m
• Greek: ντιβάνι (el) n (ntiváni)
• Hungarian: dívány (hu), kerevet (hu)
• Indonesian: dipan (id)
• Italian: divano (it) m
• Japanese: ディヴァン (ja) (divan), ソファ (ja) (sofa)
• Kazakh: диван (divan)
• Korean: 소파 (ko) (sopa)
• Kyrgyz: диван (ky) (divan)
• Latvian: dīvāns m, sofa f
• Macedonian: диван m (divan), софа f (sofa)
• Malay: dipan (ms), sofa (ms)
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: диван (divan)

• Persian: نیمکت (fa) (nimkat)
• Polish: tapczan (pl) m
• Portuguese: divã (pt) m
• Russian: дива́н (ru) m (diván)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: дѝва̄н m, со̀фа f

  Latin: dìvān (sh) m, sòfa (sh) f

• Slovak: diván m, sofa f
• Slovene: divan m, zofa f
• Spanish: diván (es) m
• Tajik: диван (divan), нимкат (nimkat)
• Tatar: диван (diwan)
• Thai: โซฟา (th) (soo-faa)
• Turkish: sedir, divan (tr)

  Ottoman Turkish: سدیر (sedir)

• Turkmen: diwan
• Ukrainian: дива́н (uk) m (dyván), софа́ f (sofá), кана́па (uk) f (kanápa)
• Uyghur: دىۋان (diwan)
• Uzbek: divan (uz)
• Vietnamese: đi văng

council

• Arabic: دِيوَان m (dīwān)
• Armenian: դիվան (hy) (divan)
• Belarusian: дыва́н m (dyván)
• Bengali: দেওয়ান (bn) (deōẇan)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 底萬 / 底万 (dǐwàn)

• Finnish: divaani (fi)
• French: divan (fr) m
• Georgian: დივანი (ka) (divani)
• German: Diwan (de) m
• Hindi: दीवान (hi) m (dīvān)
• Hungarian: díván (hu)
• Indonesian: dewan (id)
• Italian: Diwan m
• Kazakh: дуан (duan)
• Kyrgyz: диван (ky) (divan)
• Persian: دیوان (fa) (divân)
• Polish: dywan (pl) m
• Portuguese: divã (pt) m
• Romanian: divan (ro) n
• Russian: дива́н (ru) m (diván)
• Spanish: diván (es) m
• Tajik: девон (devon)
• Tatar: диван (diwan)
• Turkish: divan (tr)
• Turkmen: diwan
• Ukrainian: дива́н (uk) m (dyván)
• Urdu: دیوان (ur) m (dīvān)
• Uzbek: devon (uz)

collection of poems

• Arabic: دِيوَان m (dīwān)
• Armenian: դիվան (hy) (divan)
• Belarusian: дыва́н m (dyván)
• Bengali: দিওয়ান (bn) (diōẇan)
• Czech: díván m
• Finnish: divaani (fi)
• Georgian: დივანი (ka) (divani)
• German: Diwan (de) m
• Hindi: दीवान (hi) m (dīvān)
• Hungarian: díván (hu)
• Italian: diwan m
• Kazakh: жинақ (jinaq)
• Kyrgyz: диван (ky) (divan)
• Persian: دیوان (fa) (divân)
• Portuguese: divã (pt) m
• Russian: дива́н (ru) m (diván)
• Spanish: diván (es) m
• Tajik: девон (devon)
• Turkish: divan (tr)
• Ukrainian: дива́н (uk) m (dyván)
• Urdu: دیوان (ur) m (dīvān)
• Uzbek: devon (uz)

Anagrams

• Davin, Navid, viand

Azerbaijani

Other scripts

Cyrillic		диван
Arabic		دیوان

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian دیوان (dīwān).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

divan (definite accusative divanı, plural divanlar)

1. divan (council)

Declension

Declension of divan

	singular	plural
nominative	divan	divanlar
definite accusative	divanı	divanları
dative	divana	divanlara
locative	divanda	divanlarda
ablative	divandan	divanlardan
definite genitive	divanın	divanların

Possessive forms of divan

	nominative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	divanım	divanlarım
sənin (“your”)	divanın	divanların
onun (“his/her/its”)	divanı	divanları
bizim (“our”)	divanımız	divanlarımız
sizin (“your”)	divanınız	divanlarınız
onların (“their”)	divanı or divanları	divanları
	accusative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	divanımı	divanlarımı
sənin (“your”)	divanını	divanlarını
onun (“his/her/its”)	divanını	divanlarını
bizim (“our”)	divanımızı	divanlarımızı
sizin (“your”)	divanınızı	divanlarınızı
onların (“their”)	divanını or divanlarını	divanlarını
	dative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	divanıma	divanlarıma
sənin (“your”)	divanına	divanlarına
onun (“his/her/its”)	divanına	divanlarına
bizim (“our”)	divanımıza	divanlarımıza
sizin (“your”)	divanınıza	divanlarınıza
onların (“their”)	divanına or divanlarına	divanlarına
	locative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	divanımda	divanlarımda
sənin (“your”)	divanında	divanlarında
onun (“his/her/its”)	divanında	divanlarında
bizim (“our”)	divanımızda	divanlarımızda
sizin (“your”)	divanınızda	divanlarınızda
onların (“their”)	divanında or divanlarında	divanlarında
	ablative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	divanımdan	divanlarımdan
sənin (“your”)	divanından	divanlarından
onun (“his/her/its”)	divanından	divanlarından
bizim (“our”)	divanımızdan	divanlarımızdan
sizin (“your”)	divanınızdan	divanlarınızdan
onların (“their”)	divanından or divanlarından	divanlarından
	genitive
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	divanımın	divanlarımın
sənin (“your”)	divanının	divanlarının
onun (“his/her/its”)	divanının	divanlarının
bizim (“our”)	divanımızın	divanlarımızın
sizin (“your”)	divanınızın	divanlarınızın
onların (“their”)	divanının or divanlarının	divanlarının

Related terms

• əhli-divan

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish دیوان (dîvân).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [diˈβan]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [diˈvan]

Noun

divan m (plural divans)

1. (historical) divan (council, court)
2. divan (low sofa)

Further reading

• “divan”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Crimean Tatar

Etymology

Probably from Ottoman Turkish دیوان (divan), from Persian دیوان (divân).

Noun

divan

1. (furniture) sofa, couch, divan

Declension

Declension of divan

	singular	plural
nominative	divan	divanlar
genitive	divannıñ	divanlarnıñ
dative	divanğa	divanlarğa
accusative	divannı	divanlarnı
locative	divanda	divanlarda
ablative	divandan	divanlardan

References

• “divan”, in Luğatçıq (in Russian)

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈdɪvan]

Noun

divan m inan

1. (furniture): divan

Declension

Declension of divan (hard masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	divan	divany
genitive	divanu	divanů
dative	divanu	divanům
accusative	divan	divany
vocative	divane	divany
locative	divaně, divanu	divanech
instrumental	divanem	divany

See also

• pohovka

Further reading

• “divan”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “divan”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “divan”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

Danish

Etymology

Via German Diwan, from Ottoman Turkish دیوان, from Persian دیوان.

Noun

divan c (singular definite divanen, plural indefinite divaner)

1. divan (piece of furniture)

   Synonym: (jocular) divaneser

   Coordinate terms: sofa, chaiselong, ottoman

Declension

Declension of divan

common gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	divan	divanen	divaner	divanerne
genitive	divans	divanens	divaners	divanernes

Derived terms

• divantæppe

References

• “divan” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French divan, from Ottoman Turkish دیوان, from Persian دیوان.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdi.vɑn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: di‧van

Noun

divan m (plural divans, no diminutive)

1. a divan (piece of furniture)

Derived terms

• divanbed
• divankleed

Related terms

• douane

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish دیوان (dîvân), from Persian دیوان (divân).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /di.vɑ̃/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Canada (Shawinigan)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

divan m (plural divans)

1. any type of undistinguished couch
2. a divan in either of the original Turkish senses

Synonyms

• (a couch): canapé (Europe), sofa

Descendants

• → English: divan
• → German: Diwan
• → Portuguese: divã

Further reading

• “divan”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Mauritian Creole

Etymology 1

From French avant.

Alternative forms

• avan

Preposition

divan

1. before
2. ahead

Etymology 2

From French vent.

Noun

divan

1. the wind

References

• Baker, Philip; Hookoomsing, Vinesh Y. (1987), Diksiyoner kreol morisyeṅ [Mauritian Creole Dictionary] (in French and English), Paris: L'Harmattan, →ISBN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish دیوان (dîvân), from Persian دیوان (divân).

Noun

divan n (plural divane)

1. divan

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	divan	divanul		divane	divanele
genitive-dative	divan	divanului		divane	divanelor
vocative	divanule			divanelor

See also

• canapea

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *divьnъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dîːʋan/
• Hyphenation: di‧van

Adjective

dȋvan (Cyrillic spelling ди̑ван, definite dȋvnī, comparative divniji)

1. wonderful

Declension

positive indefinite forms

singular		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative		divan	divna	divno
genitive		divna	divne	divna
dative		divnu	divnoj	divnu
accusative	inanimate animate	divan divna	divnu	divno
vocative		divan	divna	divno
locative		divnu	divnoj	divnu
instrumental		divnim	divnom	divnim
plural		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative		divni	divne	divna
genitive		divnih	divnih	divnih
dative		divnim(a)	divnim(a)	divnim(a)
accusative		divne	divne	divna
vocative		divni	divne	divna
locative		divnim(a)	divnim(a)	divnim(a)
instrumental		divnim(a)	divnim(a)	divnim(a)

positive definite forms

singular		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative		divni	divna	divno
genitive		divnog(a)	divne	divnog(a)
dative		divnom(u/e)	divnoj	divnom(u/e)
accusative	inanimate animate	divni divnog(a)	divnu	divno
vocative		divni	divna	divno
locative		divnom(e/u)	divnoj	divnom(e/u)
instrumental		divnim	divnom	divnim
plural		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative		divni	divne	divna
genitive		divnih	divnih	divnih
dative		divnim(a)	divnim(a)	divnim(a)
accusative		divne	divne	divna
vocative		divni	divne	divna
locative		divnim(a)	divnim(a)	divnim(a)
instrumental		divnim(a)	divnim(a)	divnim(a)

comparative forms

singular		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative		divniji	divnija	divnije
genitive		divnijeg(a)	divnije	divnijeg(a)
dative		divnijem(u)	divnijoj	divnijem(u)
accusative	inanimate animate	divniji divnijeg(a)	divniju	divnije
vocative		divniji	divnija	divnije
locative		divnijem(u)	divnijoj	divnijem(u)
instrumental		divnijim	divnijom	divnijim
plural		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative		divniji	divnije	divnija
genitive		divnijih	divnijih	divnijih
dative		divnijim(a)	divnijim(a)	divnijim(a)
accusative		divnije	divnije	divnija
vocative		divniji	divnije	divnija
locative		divnijim(a)	divnijim(a)	divnijim(a)
instrumental		divnijim(a)	divnijim(a)	divnijim(a)

superlative forms

singular		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative		najdivniji	najdivnija	najdivnije
genitive		najdivnijeg(a)	najdivnije	najdivnijeg(a)
dative		najdivnijem(u)	najdivnijoj	najdivnijem(u)
accusative	inanimate animate	najdivniji najdivnijeg(a)	najdivniju	najdivnije
vocative		najdivniji	najdivnija	najdivnije
locative		najdivnijem(u)	najdivnijoj	najdivnijem(u)
instrumental		najdivnijim	najdivnijom	najdivnijim
plural		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative		najdivniji	najdivnije	najdivnija
genitive		najdivnijih	najdivnijih	najdivnijih
dative		najdivnijim(a)	najdivnijim(a)	najdivnijim(a)
accusative		najdivnije	najdivnije	najdivnija
vocative		najdivniji	najdivnije	najdivnija
locative		najdivnijim(a)	najdivnijim(a)	najdivnijim(a)
instrumental		najdivnijim(a)	najdivnijim(a)	najdivnijim(a)

Related terms

• divota

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish دیوان (dîvân), from Classical Persian دیوان (dīwān).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dǐʋaːn/
• Hyphenation: di‧van

Noun

dìvān m inan (Cyrillic spelling дѝва̄н)

1. divan (furniture)
2. divan (council)
3. divan (collection of poems)
4. (historical) court, tribunal (in Ottoman period)
5. (regional) conversation, word

Declension

Declension of divan

	singular	plural
nominative	divan	divani
genitive	divana	divana
dative	divanu	divanima
accusative	divan	divane
vocative	divane	divani
locative	divanu	divanima
instrumental	divanom	divanima

Derived terms

• divániti

See also

• sofa

Swedish

Noun

divan c

1. a divan (piece of furniture)

Declension

Declension of divan

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	divan	divans
	definite	divanen	divanens
plural	indefinite	divaner	divaners
	definite	divanerna	divanernas

Noun

divan

1. definite singular of diva

References

• divan in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• divan in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• divan in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Turkish

Etymology

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish دیوان (dîvân), from Classical Persian دِیوَان (dīwān), from Middle Persian d(p)ywʾn' (dēwān, “archive, collected writings”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /diːˈvan/, (definite accusative) /diː.vaːˈnɯ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: di‧van

Noun

divan (definite accusative divanı, plural divanlar)

1. (historical) divan, a council of state held between the viziers of the Ottoman Empire and the sultan
2. (poetry) divan, a collection of poems, especially one written by an author in Arabic or Persian
3. synonym of sedir (“divan, a piece of furniture”)

Declension

Declension of divan

singular plural nominative divan divanlar definite accusative divanı divanları dative divana divanlara locative divanda divanlarda ablative divandan divanlardan genitive divanın divanların Possessive forms nominative singular plural 1st singular divanım divanlarım 2nd singular divanın divanların 3rd singular divanı divanları 1st plural divanımız divanlarımız 2nd plural divanınız divanlarınız 3rd plural divanları divanları definite accusative singular plural 1st singular divanımı divanlarımı 2nd singular divanını divanlarını 3rd singular divanını divanlarını 1st plural divanımızı divanlarımızı 2nd plural divanınızı divanlarınızı 3rd plural divanlarını divanlarını dative singular plural 1st singular divanıma divanlarıma 2nd singular divanına divanlarına 3rd singular divanına divanlarına 1st plural divanımıza divanlarımıza 2nd plural divanınıza divanlarınıza 3rd plural divanlarına divanlarına locative singular plural 1st singular divanımda divanlarımda 2nd singular divanında divanlarında 3rd singular divanında divanlarında 1st plural divanımızda divanlarımızda 2nd plural divanınızda divanlarınızda 3rd plural divanlarında divanlarında ablative singular plural 1st singular divanımdan divanlarımdan 2nd singular divanından divanlarından 3rd singular divanından divanlarından 1st plural divanımızdan divanlarımızdan 2nd plural divanınızdan divanlarınızdan 3rd plural divanlarından divanlarından genitive singular plural 1st singular divanımın divanlarımın 2nd singular divanının divanlarının 3rd singular divanının divanlarının 1st plural divanımızın divanlarımızın 2nd plural divanınızın divanlarınızın 3rd plural divanlarının divanlarının

Derived terms

• divan âmedcisi
• divan bağlanmak
• divan çavuşu
• divan direği
• divan durmak
• divan edebiyatı
• divan efendisi
• divan ehli
• divan kalemi
• divan kâtibi
• divan sazı
• divan sürülmek
• divan yeri
• divan-ı am
• divan-ı has
• divan-ı mezalim
• divan-ı riyaset
• divançe
• divanhane
• divanıâli
• divanıharp
• divanıhümayun
• divanımuhasebat
• divani

Further reading

• “divan”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Ayverdi, İlhan (2010), “divan”, in Misalli Büyük Türkçe Sözlük, a reviewed and expanded single-volume edition, Istanbul: Kubbealtı Neşriyatı
• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007), “divan2”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), volume 2, Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 1246
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–), “divan”, in Nişanyan Sözlük