1630s, "covered chair on poles," possibly from a southern Italian dialect derivative of Italian sede "chair" (compare Italian seggietta, 1590s; the thing itself was said to have been introduced from Naples), from Latin sedes, related to sedere "sit" (see sedentary). Since Johnson's conjecture, often derived from the town of Sedan in France, where it was said to have been made or first used, but historical evidence for this is lacking.
Introduced in England by Sir Sanders Duncombe in 1634 and first called a covered chair. "In Paris the sedan-chair man was usually an Auvergnat, in London an Irishman" ["Encyclopaedia Britannica," 1929]. Meaning "closed automobile seating four or more" first recorded 1912, American English.
双语例句
1. The chauffeur turned the sedan about.
司机把轿车掉头.
来自《简明英汉词典》
2. My parents own a Ford sedan.
我父母有一辆“福特”牌轿车.
来自《简明英汉词典》
3. 'shall we hire a sedan - chair to take her home? "
“ 叫一顶轿子送她去 么 ? ”
来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说
4. Before five in the morning, the sedan bearers washed and cooked rice.
早晨不到五点钟, 轿夫们淘米煮饭.
来自汉英文学 - 围城
5. Madam Wang and her five children quickly departed in three sedan - chairs.