Where does “napkin” come from?

napkin (Cebuano) comes from English napkin, from Middle English napkyn, from Middle English nape, from Old French nape, from Medieval Latin nappa, from Latin mappa — napkin; starting signal; map.

napkin (Cebuano): a sanitary napkin

Definitions

  1. a sanitary napkin

Ancestry of “napkin”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnapkinA serviette; a piece of cloth or paper used at...
2Middle EnglishnapkynA napkin or serviette
3Middle EnglishnapeThe nape; the neck's rear; The nape of a fish;...
4Old Frenchnapetable cloth
5Medieval Latinnappanapkin
6Latinmappanapkin; starting signal; map
Every word from Latin mappa →Every word from Medieval Latin nappa →Every word from Old French nape →