Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “tap” come from?

Tap comes from Middle English tappe, Old English tæppa, and Proto-Germanic tappô, which may derive from Latin papyrus and Ancient Greek πάπυρος, though the connection and original meaning remain uncertain.

tap (English): A tapering cylindrical pin or peg used to stop...

Definitions

  1. A tapering cylindrical pin or peg used to stop...

Ancestry of “tap”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishtappeA spigot or plug for a hole or spout; A hole or...
2Middle EnglishtappenTo let fluids flow from a spout; To retail beer;...
3Old Englishtæppianto tap
4Old English-ianForms verbs from nouns and adjectives
5Old English-ōjan—
6Proto-West Germanic-ōnCreates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates...
7Proto-Germanic-ōnąCreates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates...
8Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
9Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
10Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
11Chichewaiyehe, she

Words derived from “tap”

  • tapping
  • taproot
  • taproom
  • tappet
  • tapper
  • doolally
  • taphole
  • wiretapper
  • heeltap
  • tappy
  • tappable
  • multitap
  • untappable
  • taphouse
  • tappee
  • tapware
  • tappingly
  • tappeth
  • retap
  • midtap
  • tapless
  • taplash
  • lovetap
  • keytap
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