Couch, Sofa, Davenport

Discussion in 'Evolution of Language' started by Yvonne Smith, Dec 24, 2016.

  1. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @Kate Ellery
    Agreed, and understood! Where I grew up a "lounge" meant only one thing: saloon, bar, or speak-easy, depending on whether or not the owner had a blind pig. :rolleyes:
    Frank
     
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  2. Steve North

    Steve North Supreme Member
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    The picture of that futon isn't a futon.. if it has storage underneath, it is a "click bed".. You pick up the front till you heard a click, and the back drops down, it is a click bed..
    A futon is similar but it doesn't open up the same way and it doesn't have any storage underneath..

    Coming from Montreal where I lived, we called it a sofa..
    In French, it was called "un divan".. Probably from the word davenport..
    When we moved to Northern Ontario, I noticed folks calling it a davenport.. I had heard that name before..
    A couch was generally referred to as sectional pieces put together to make a long seating couch..
     
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  3. Missy Lee

    Missy Lee Veteran Member
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    We call the long 3 seater a couch and the 2 seater a loveseat. If it has the bed in it we call it a sofabed.

    What about recliner also called a lazyboy
     
    #18
  4. Steve North

    Steve North Supreme Member
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    If it has a pull-out bed, we call it a "hide-a-bed"....
    They can be single beds, double beds, or queen size beds...
     
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  5. Terry Page

    Terry Page Supreme Member
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    I think we called them settees at home as a child, I only use the word sofa now......never heard of a davenport, but it reminds me of the beer my dad had delivered each week...

     
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  6. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    I think that since the word "Davenport" is actually a manufacturer name, like "Kleenex", and "Lay-Z-Boy", those terms are probably originally used to describe the item by people who actually used those brand names. I only ever remember seeing tissues in the store that were made by Kleenex, and that was what everyone called them.
    Now, there are all kinds of other brands, and generic brands, and they are usually just called tissues, or facial tissues, although the word Kleenex is still in use.
    The same thing with furniture. One of the most well-known brands of recliners is named Lay-Z-Boy recliners, and that has become a name used to describe any make of recliner. The Davenport company made couches (sofas), and probably they were affordable enough that many people had them; and just learned to call them a Davenport.
    Another item that has come to be called by the name of the developer, is the bathroom toilet. It was originally designed by a man named "Crapper", and from there, we have gotten the (very uncomplimentary ) name that the toilet is referred to as.
     
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  7. Hal Pollner

    Hal Pollner Veteran Member
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    We called 'em Davenports exclusively when I lived in West Virginia in the early 1940's.

    Hal
     
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  8. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    To piggyback @Yvonne Smith[/USER] 's post I found some Wiki's information interesting.

    Couch
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    [​IMG]
    It has been suggested that Loveseat be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since December 2017.
    For other uses, see Couch (disambiguation).
    "Sofa" redirects here. For other uses, see Sofa (disambiguation).
    "Settee" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Suttee.
    [​IMG]
    A three-cushion couch in an office lobby

    A couch (British English, U.S. English),[1] also known as a sofa or settee(Canadian English and British English), is a piece of furniture for seating two or three people in the form of a bench, with armrests, that is partially or entirely upholstered, and often fitted with springs and tailored cushions.[2][3] Although a couch is used primarily for seating, it may be used for sleeping.[4]

    In homes, couches are normally found in the family room, living room, den, or the lounge. They are sometimes also found in non-residential settings such as hotels, lobbies of commercial offices, waiting rooms, and bars.

    The term couch is predominantly used in Ireland, North America, South Africa and Australia whereas the terms sofa and settee (U and non-U) are generally used in the United Kingdom. The word couchoriginated in Middle English from the Old French noun couche, which derived from the verb meaning "to lie down".[5] It originally denoted an item of furniture for lying or sleeping on,[6] somewhat like a chaise longue, but now refers to sofas in general.[citation needed] The word sofa comes from Turkish and is derived from the Arabic word suffa ("wool"), originating in the Aramaic word sippa ("mat").[7] The word settee comes from the Old English word, setl, which was used to describe long benches with high backs and arms, but is now generally used to describe upholstered seating.

    Other terms which can be synonymous with the above definition are chesterfield (Canada), divan, davenport, lounge, and canapé.[3]
     
    #23
  9. Lois Winters

    Lois Winters Veteran Member
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    My father used the word sofa and my mom used the word couch. I grew up hearing all the above with the exception of Daveno. That was not a reference I'd come across.
     
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  10. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Veteran Member
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    That's funny. We always called it a davenport. I never heard that term again after moving south. It's always sofa or couch.

    I suppose since the Davenport Company was located in Massachusetts, the term was more popular in the north.
     
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    Last edited: Jan 26, 2020
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  11. Mary Robi

    Mary Robi Veteran Member
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    My grandma always called it the "Divan".
     
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  12. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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    The long one is a couch and the shorter one is a love seat. If it's in three sections, it's a sectional sofa.
     
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  13. Lois Winters

    Lois Winters Veteran Member
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    I guess everyone has their own word for it. To me, it's a sofa.
     
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  14. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @Lois Winters

    My high school friend's family called it a "settee".
    Frank
     
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  15. Bess Barber

    Bess Barber Veteran Member
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    Same here. Possibly a more southern used word (s). I thought a davenport was sort of like a daybed yankees had in their porches, they called Florida rooms. I thought it was such a fancy idea. I always wanted one. My parents just had rocking chairs and the kids could sit on whatever we could find. :D
     
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