late 16th cent. (in sense 2): via French or Italian from Turkish divān, from Persian divān 'anthology, register, court, or bench'; compare with diwan. As a piece of furniture, a divan was originally (early 18th cent.) a low bench or raised section of floor used as a long seat against the wall of a room, common in Middle Eastern countries; European imitation of this led to the sense 'low flat sofa or bed' (late 19th cent.)