Where does “napkin” come from?

Napkin comes from Middle English napkyn, derived from Middle English nape, which comes from Old French nappe, ultimately from Latin mappa meaning cloth or napkin.

napkin (English): A serviette; a piece of cloth or paper used at...

Definitions

  1. A serviette; a piece of cloth or paper used at...

Ancestry of “napkin”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishnapkynA napkin or serviette
2Middle EnglishnapeThe nape; the neck's rear; The nape of a fish;...
3Old Frenchnapetable cloth
4Medieval Latinnappanapkin
5Latinmappanapkin; starting signal; map

Words derived from “napkin”

Every word from Latin mappa →
napkin — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer