Pronunciation of Chicken Divan

Questions and Answers – Pronunciation of Chicken Divan

 

Question:

I am trying to find the pronunciation for the dish chicken divan.  Is it divan (as in like the couch) or divahn?   It will help settle a difference in opinions.

 

Answers:

Some of the below information is from Bartley.com:

Pronunciation: di-‘van, ‘dI-“van, esp in senses 1, 2, & 4 also di-‘v, dI-‘van
Function: noun
Etymology:  Turkish, from Persian dIwAn account book
Date: 1586
1:  a the privy council of the Ottoman Empire
2 : a council chamber
3 : a large couch usually without back or arms often designed for use as a bed
4 : a collection of poems in Persian or Arabic usually by one author
 
HISTORY:  Chicken Divan was the signature dish of a 1950s New York restaurant, the Divan Parisienne.  It is the word “divan” itself that is of interest. I n English, divan came to mean sofa, from the council chamber’s benches, while in France it meant a meeting place or great hall.  It was this meaning that attracted the notice of the owners of the New York restaurant as they searched for a name that would simply continental elegance.  Learn about the History Chicken Divan and other Poultry Dishes.

 

 

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