Questions & Answers
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Why is it called a chair?
1 Answer

Why the furniture used for seating is called a chair has to do with the history of language. The word comes from the 13th-century English word chaer, which in turn can be traced back to the Latin word cathedra, meaning seat. If that word reminds you of the word cathedral, it's no accident. The word cathedral gets its name from the fact that a cathedral is where the bishop of a parish has his seat. On 1stDibs, shop a wide range of chairs.
1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024
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Shop for Chairs on 1stDibs
Custom Slip Covered Linen English Arm Chair Made to Order with Down Cushion
Located in Old Town Orange, CA
37.5" D x 29.25" W x 33" H
Seat Height 18" / Arm Height 23.5"
Seat Depth 23.5" / Seat Width 19"-20.5" at front
A timeless staple, this English roll arm chair...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Chairs
Materials
Cotton, Linen, Foam, Wood, Down
Mario Bellini for Cassina Set of Six 'Cab' Chairs in Red Brown Leather
By Mario Bellini, Cassina
Located in grand Lancy, CH
Mario Bellini for Cassina, set of six 'cab' dining chairs, model '412', leather, plastic, Italy, design 1980 Beautiful set of 'Cab' dining chairs chairs in luxurious reddish brown le...
Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Chairs
Materials
Leather
Bauhaus SS33 chair by Anton Lorenz for Thonet, 20th century
By Anton Lorenz, Thonet
Located in View Park, CA
The SS33 chair by Anton Lorenz for Thonet, 20th century. In blue vinyl and chrome. Though the design is Bauhaus, this particular chair was probably fabricated later in the 20th centu...
Category
20th Century Bauhaus Chairs
Materials
Chrome
Original Josef Hoffmann, Chair, Model# 330 from 1900
Located in Vienna, AT
Exhibition: chairs for a dining room in: Winter Exhibition of the Austrian Museum for Art and Industry, Vienna, late 1901; exhibition in Saint Louis, 1904, beechwood, stained to simu...
Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Chairs
Materials
Beech
Bentwood Chair By Harnisch & Co. Wiena 1880
By Thonet
Located in Čelinac, BA
Harnisch & Co. Benrwood Chair Wiena 1880
Category
Antique 1880s Austrian Art Nouveau Chairs
Materials
Bentwood
Upholstered Sculptural Dining Chair in Burnt Orange Fabric - Modern
Located in St Petersburg, US
This contemporary dining chair combines sculptural comfort with refined material contrast, creating an elegant seating piece for modern dining spaces. Upholstered in a warm burnt-ora...
Category
2010s Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood


