"Divan"

[Paul Johnston]

Wilson,

My grandmother (born 1879, NYC) used "DYE-van" interchangeably with davenport to designate the couch.  My mom (b. 1904) used the word occasionally, but I've never heard anyone younger use it.  My students laugh at me when I mention this.

Paul Johnston
On Nov 8, 2010, at 10:06 PM, Wilson Gray wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      "Divan"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Just heard it pronounced "dih-VAN." I've always used " 'DYE-van."
> Rather, I've always mentally-pictured it that way. I don't recall that
> I've ever had occasion to speak this word.
>
> --
> -Wilson
> –––
> All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"––a strange complaint to
> come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
> –Mark Twain
>
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