divan
1
9.9
- noun
- /dɪˈvæn/
- Archaic
:
diván
- During the meeting in the divan, the leaders debated the new laws proposed for the kingdom.
- divan room
Examples
-
Inviting members of the Divan to his mansion, he tried to drape a tricolour shawl over the shoulders of Sheikh al-Sharqawi.
Blog text (26) -
There were two sections: a harem, like a walled convent; and a divan, or office and reception building.
Academic text (2010) -
The head of the Divan, Sheikh al-Sharqawi, recovered sufficiently to say, 'You want to have the protection of the Prophet ...
Blog text (26) -
He thought up a Divan consisting of wise men, an Egyptian version of the Directory that exercised executive power in Paris.
Blog text (26) -
Mustafa complained, insisting, though I had trouble believing him, that by contrast, Baghdad "never sleeps"; we instructed the driver to take us to the Divan.
Academic text (2015) -
When I was in India, the mandala structure of the divan-i-kaas (council hall) had, in actual fact, powerfully impressed me as the representation of content related to the center.
Academic text (1993) -
The Shah was the "fountain of justice," and his tribunal for injustices (mazalem), divan-khana, was the highest court of justice in the realm.
Academic text (2014) -
Al-Jabarti was also struck by the efficiency and discipline of the French army, and he followed with great curiosity the electoral processes in the Divan that Napoleon had created, explaining to his Arab readers how members wrote their votes on strips of paper and how majority opinion prevailed.
Blog text (26) -
The royal officials gathered in the divan to discuss important matters of state.
-
Many historical documents were stored in the divan, which served as the center for political decision-making.
Synonyms
4
4.1
A room where local officials meet to make decisions for a town or city
1
9.9
A group of people who meet to discuss and decide community matters, often in Muslim communities
A room where rulers or judges meet to make official decisions
A group of people who meet to discuss and decide local community matters
Compounds
Surface Forms
Etymology
Divan comes from the old Persian and Arabic word diwan, which meant 'a government office' or 'a list of records'. Over time the same word was used for the council that met in that office and the room where they met, so divan can mean a council or its meeting place.