Where does “napkin” come from?
napkin (Middle English) comes from Middle English napkyn, from Middle English nape, from Old French nape, from Medieval Latin nappa, from Latin mappa — napkin; starting signal; map.
napkin (Middle English): Alternative form of napkyn
Definitions
- Alternative form of napkyn
Ancestry of “napkin”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | napkyn | A napkin or serviette |
| 2 | Middle English | nape | The nape; the neck's rear; The nape of a fish;... |
| 3 | Old French | nape | table cloth |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | nappa | napkin |
| 5 | Latin | mappa | napkin; starting signal; map |