Sedan

Prompted by reading, once again, about the Sitwells in the book first noticed at reference 1, I have been reading, once again, the 'Chrome Yellow' of reference 2. And just now I came across the word 'sedan' used to describe what sounded like the folding roof for a sporty, two seater car. Mainly glass.

Thinking that maybe there was a connection with the Sedan in France where the French were trounced by the Germans, I tried OED, which opined that a connection between 'sedan' and 'Sedan' was unlikely, without settling on any other derivation.

But it does explain that the word started to be used in the 17th century to describe an enclosed chair, carried by two strong bearers, used to carry the quality about the streets of London. By extension, a litter or palanquin. Also a specialised wheel barrow used to carry fish in the US.

So perhaps the connection is that the addition of a central hump to an old fashioned car, with big springs fore & aft, gave it something of the appearance of a sedan chair. Perhaps some helpful reader can do better.

PS: readers in the US will talk of sedan cars, while we talk of saloon cars. This despite the fact that 'Chrome Yellow' was written before Huxley could have spent much time there, if indeed he had been there at all.

Reference 1: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/the-blade.html.

Reference 2: Chrome Yellow - Aldous Huxley - 1921.