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Settee

Furnishings
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A small upholstered sofa designed for two or more people. It can represent companionship, courtship, or social restraint.

Detailed Definition
A settee brings bodies into proximity without the expansiveness of a larger sofa, making it useful in poems of courtship, family tension, or formal visiting. Two people seated upon it may be close enough to touch yet emotionally distant, a contrast poets can exploit. In a parlor, the settee can suggest etiquette and supervised conversation. Its worn upholstery may preserve the impression of habitual occupants, allowing an interior poem to imply repeated gatherings, whispered confidences, and the long endurance of domestic relationships.
Example
Example in poetry:
“We sat at opposite ends of the settee, leaving winter between us” uses physical distance to show emotional separation; A settee in a parlor poem can evoke formal visits, courtship, or social restraint; “The old settee sagged where my mother used to read” lets furniture preserve the shape of memory; A poet may place a bright settee in an otherwise bleak room to create contrast between cheerful appearance and private sorrow
Additional Notes
A settee accommodates more than one person but keeps them physically close, making it effective for scenes of courtship, family tension, or polite conversation. Its smaller scale can imply constraint compared with a larger sofa.
Also Known As
Sofa Couch chaise
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