We all know that language develops over time, with words and phrases taking on whole new meanings. Many of our ‘borrowed’ words, such as bungalow, or magazine have foreign origins but are either misspelt, mispronounced, and usually both.
In fact, it is estimated that around 80% of ‘English’ words have their roots in a foreign language. To be fair, we do occasionally try to keep the original spellings and pronunciation. The name chaise longue being a case in point. Part of the reason for this may lie in the need for clarity; we already had sofa (an Arabic word!), settee, settle, or couch here in the UK to describe various types of seating.
It may also be something to do with status. There’s a touch of class and elegance about French-style furniture, so it’s understandable that people like to distinguish between this and other furniture by insisting on using the correct name.
However, when the first English speakers eagerly snapped up this sophisticated sofa from France back in the 1700s, they made a slight error. It seems they had no problem with the word chaise, but when it came to the second word they swapped a couple of letters around, making it lounge, instead of longue. Did it matter? Does it matter now? In some senses, no. But as time has passed, changing tastes in furniture have taken new designs well away from the original form of chaise longue.
It’s a good idea, from time to time, to look back at the history and origins of certain items, to get a sense of their true character. This helps us to get a clearer idea of how designs have developed over time and to gain an understanding of the influences behind them. From this, we can begin to understand how chaise longue and chaise lounge might be applied to different types of furniture, without diminishing the prestige or style of the original chaise.
Antique French Style Chaise Lounge
It was oddly convenient that the word ‘lounge’ described precisely what this piece of furniture was designed for; lounging. Literally meaning ‘long chair’, the original chaise longues (or chaises longues, to be precise) differed from a regular chair in that they were fully upholstered, with short legs and a low back that gently curved up at one end to meet a single armrest. Based on ancient Egyptian chaise examples, it was designed for reclining, giving an air of status and opulence. Only people at the higher end of society had time to lounge around!
It’s a matter of conjecture as to whether it was a deliberate choice to change the spelling outside of France, or whether it was purely accidental. The fact that they kept chaise in its original form hints at the latter, though there is an argument that some English speakers made the assumption that longue was the French spelling of lounge and that the two words meant the same. An early edition of The Times newspaper (in 1807) used ‘lounge’, which many readers would have accepted as being correct, thus cementing its place in peoples’ minds.
Whatever the truth, the original (and correct) name gradually became the norm in the UK – at least for a while. Over in America, the corrupted form took firm roots, persisting to this day. A quick search online will prove that this has actually become the accepted spelling in the English-speaking world and is set to continue this way, though the UK still tends to use the original spelling.
Doucet Dijon Velvet Chaise Longue
Confusion has grown as the term chaise lounge is applied to an ever-widening range of modern seating designs, including those in the original style, and that trend, as is often the way, has made its way to the UK and parts of Europe.
The world of online shopping is partly to blame, with eBay being a major culprit. To maximise the chances of an item being discovered, the description includes a whole load of vaguely-related terms that may or may not make sense.
So, what new forms of chaise are there?
Well, the modern chaise can be a chair for bedroom or living room, garden or poolside. Strictly speaking, these are not chaise longues, but chaise lounges. Going further, in the UK we might refer to them as sun-loungers, recliners, or daybeds. But few of them resemble the original version of chaise longues in any way.
This isn’t a criticism of the newer designs, merely an acknowledgement that they are different. In reality, many of these new forms of chaise are better suited to our homes, our circumstances and lifestyles.
There are modern-day outdoor chaises, stylish boudoir chairs, whole chaise lounge collections that provide a wealth of seating solutions that cater to every budget and taste. There are even plush chaise lounge sofas that look a little like the original but which have an armrest at each end.
However, most of them don’t qualify as real chaise longues.
You would not, for example, expect a true French chaise longue to be made of anything other than wood and fabric, whereas a rattan chaise lounge is fine.
Antique French Style Sofa Chaise
Gold Antique French Style Chaise
Now we have a better grasp of the distinction between the two, it may help to guide you in selecting the right piece for your home.
So, are you looking for a lounge or a longue? Patio or poolside furniture, a lounge chair or a chair for bedroom use? While there are some amazing chaise lounge examples, for style and elegance you can’t go far wrong with beautiful plush chaise longues, whether in your living room or bedroom, topped off with a couple of luxurious chaise cushions.
In the end, there isn’t really any reason for all the confusion. We have always admired the French for their flair, fashion and style, emulating them in our designs for clothing, decor and furniture. In the latter category, we have in some cases added to this through beautiful craftsmanship.
A chaise longue will always be a chaise longue, distinctive by its design and quintessentially French.
Antique French Style Chaise
Here are a selection of our Chaise Lounge`s & Benches
https://www.homesdirect365.co.uk/french-furniture-c487/seating-c1211/chaise-longue-benches-c1869
Summary
Article Name
Chaise Longue Or Chaise Lounge? A French Classic Explained
Description
What is the correct term "chaise lounge" or "chaise longue", we dive deeper here with a little bit of history and background behind these beautiful furniture pieces
Author
Dean Signori
Publisher Name
Homes Direct 365
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