Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “nap” come from?

Knap comes from French nappe, from Latin -are, from Latin -o, from Proto-Indo-European gnebʰ-, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European gen-.

nap (English): A short period of sleep, especially one during...

Definitions

  1. A short period of sleep, especially one during...

Ancestry of “nap”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Swedishnappato pinch, pluck
2Old Norsehnappa—
3Proto-Germanichnappōnąto pick, pluck, tear off
4Proto-Indo-Europeanknobʰnéh₂-—

Words derived from “nap”

  • kidnapping
  • kidnap
  • napping
  • kidnapper
  • nab
  • naptime
  • catnap
  • nabbing
  • napper
  • napless
  • antikidnapping
  • carnapping
  • dognap
  • nabber
  • kidnappee
  • nappishness
  • carnap
  • overnap
  • tabnabbing
  • birdnap
  • kidnappable
  • bossnapping
  • dognaper
  • -nap
Every word from Proto-Indo-European knobʰnéh₂- →