nappy

Where does the word "nappy" come from? It comes from Latin mappa, passing through Old French and Middle English before entering English (1920s).

Nappy’s story begins in Latin: mappa meant “cloth, napkin.” A cloth; also the source of 'map', and of 'apron', once 'a napron'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as nappe. A tablecloth. From there it passed into Middle English as napkin by 1400s. 'nape' plus the diminutive '-kin': a little cloth. It reached English by 1920s as nappy. British nursery short form of 'napkin'; Americans say 'diaper'. Today, nappy means a baby's diaper.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient mappa "cloth, napkin", a cloth; also the source of 'map', and of 'apron', once 'a napron'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval nappe "tablecloth", a tablecloth.
3. Stage 3 · Middle English · 1400s napkin "small cloth", 'nape' plus the diminutive '-kin': a little cloth.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1920s nappy "baby's diaper", British nursery short form of 'napkin'; Americans say 'diaper'.