A couch or sofa is a piece of furniture for seating two or more persons in the form of a bench, with or without armrests, that is partially or entirely upholstered, and often fitted with springs and tailored cushions.[1][2] Although a couch is used primarily for seating, it may be used for reclining.[3] In homes, couches are normally found in the family room, living room, den, sitting room or the lounge. They are also found in hotels, lobbies of commercial offices, waiting rooms, furniture stores, etc. The term couch is used in North America, Australia, New Zealand, whilst the term sofa is generally used in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The word originated in Middle English from the Old French noun couche, which derived from the verb meaning to lie down.[4] It originally denoted an item of furniture for lying or sleeping on, somewhat like a chaise longue, but now refers to sofas in general. Other terms synonymous with the above definition of couch are sofa, settee, chesterfield, divan, davenport, and canapé.[2] The word sofa is from Turkish derived from the Arabic word suffa for carpet or divan, originating in the Aramaic word sippa for mat.[5] 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.[6]
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 10:06:03 +0000
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