Where does “clapper” come from?
Clapper derives from English clap plus the agent suffix -er, tracing back through Old French -er, Latin -āre (infinitive marker), Latin -ārius (agent suffix meaning "one who"), and Proto-Italic -os.
clapper (English): One who claps; a person who applauds by clapping...
Definitions
- One who claps; a person who applauds by clapping...
Ancestry of “clapper”, step by step
clapper traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English clap
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | clap | The act of striking the palms of the hands, or... |
| 2 | Old French | clapoir | bubo, inflammation from infection |
| 3 | Old French | clapier | brothel |
| 4 | Old Occitan | clapier | rabbit hutch |
| 5 | Old Occitan | clap | heap of stones |
| 6 | Medieval Latin | claperius | — |
via French clapier
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | clapier | rabbit hutch; an overcrowded, unhealthy dwelling,... |