Late 16th century (in sense 3): via French or Italian from Turkish dīvān, from Persian dīwān 'anthology, register, court, or bench'; compare with diwan. As a piece of furniture, a divan was originally (early 18th century) a low bench or raised section of floor against an interior wall, used as a long seat and common in Middle Eastern countries; European imitation of this led to the sense 'low flat sofa or bed' (late 19th century).

• The divan travelled across Europe from the court of the Ottoman Empire in the East. The Ottoman divan was its privy council, presided over by the sultan or his highest official, the grand vizier. Travellers first referred to it in English in the late 16th century. Turkish dīvān came from a Persian word with a range of meanings: ‘brochure’, ‘anthology’, ‘register’, ‘court’, and ‘bench’. The last gave rise to the usual sense of divan in English, a piece of furniture. Originally, a divan was a low bench or raised part of a floor forming a seat against the wall of a room, a style which was common in Middle Eastern countries. European imitations of this led to the sense ‘a low flat sofa or bed’ in the late 19th century, while ottoman (late 18th century) was used for a similar object; an upholstered box that doubled as a seat.