Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “nap” come from?

nap (Middle English) comes from Middle English nappen, from Old English hnappian, from Proto-Germanic hnappōną, from Proto-Indo-European knobʰnéh₂-.

nap (Middle English): A bowl for one's beverages; a chalice; A nap or...

Definitions

  1. A bowl for one's beverages; a chalice; A nap or...

Ancestry of “nap”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishnappenTo nap or doze; to have a short sleep; To be...
2Old Englishhnappianto doze, slumber, sleep
3Proto-Germanichnappōnąto pick, pluck, tear off
4Proto-Indo-Europeanknobʰnéh₂-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European knobʰnéh₂- →