"sofa" in seven languages
Meaningsofa
Spanish
/soˈfa/
masc.borrowed · French sofa
French
/kanape/
masc.other source · Medieval Latin canapeum, from Greek kōnōpeîon 'bed with a mosquito net'
Also a canapé, an appetizer on bread — the topping 'sits' on it.
Italian
/diˈvano/
masc.other source · Turkish divan 'council', from Persian dīwān
Sofà is also used.
Portuguese
/soˈfa/
masc.borrowed · French sofa
Romanian
/kanaˈpe̯a/
fem.other source · French canapé (Medieval Latin canapeum, from Greek)
Catalan
/suˈfa/
masc.borrowed · French sofa
English
/ˈsoʊfə/
from Latin/French · French sofa
The ancestor
Arabic ṣuffa‘raised bench (via Turkish sofa)’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Three exotic seats: an Arabic bench, a Turkish council divan (the same dīwān as aduana, customs), and a Greek mosquito net that became English canopy.
English relatives: sofa, divan; canopy (kōnōpeîon)