the.com/settee
A sofa wearing a tweed jacket and pretending it isn't.
means A settee is a long upholstered seat with a back and arms, built for two or more people — essentially a sofa, often a smaller or more old-fashioned one.
from Settee surfaced in the early 18th century, almost certainly a playful variant of 'settle' — the old name for a long wooden bench with a high back, which traces back to Old English 'setl,' meaning a seat or place to sit (a cousin of 'sit' and 'settle down'). So the word literally carries the act of sitting in its bones.
- name origin
- Likely twisted from the older word settle, a wooden bench
- early form
- First settees were high-backed wooden benches, not cushioned
- class marker
- Word choice sparks fierce British debate over social status
- two-seater roots
- Originally meant for exactly two people sitting upright
chesterfield settee — 19th century english button-tufted sofa with rolled arms, named after the earl of chesterfield
camelback settee — 18th century american furniture style with an arched back resembling a camel's hump, popular in colonial homes