*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of nappy

A diminutive in -y. The base is probably napkin but possibly French nappe directly (note that napkin is already a diminutive).

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 4 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To put a nappy on.

noun

An absorbent garment worn by a baby or toddler who does not yet have voluntary control of their bladder and bowels or by someone who is incontinent; a diaper.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

A diminutive in -y. The base is probably napkin but possibly French nappe directly (note that napkin is already a diminutive).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "1": "fr",
        "2": "nappe"
      },
      "expansion": "French nappe"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English:_diminutive"
    ],
    [
      "napkin",
      "napkin#English"
    ],
    [
      "nappe",
      "nappe#French"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To put a nappy on."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
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        "An absorbent garment worn by a baby or toddler who does not yet have voluntary control of their bladder and bowels or by someone who is incontinent; a diaper."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Australia",
        "Ireland",
        "New-Zealand",
        "South-Africa",
        "UK"
      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
adj

Having a nap (of cloth etc.); downy; shaggy. · Of hair: tightly curled or twisted; frizzy (often specifically in reference to Afro textured hair) · Inclined to sleep; sleepy.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree English nap Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English nappy From nap + -y.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "nap",
        "4": "-y<id:adjectival>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nEnglish nap\nProto-Indo-European *-kos\nProto-Germanic *-gaz\nProto-West Germanic *-g\nOld English -iġ\nMiddle English -y\nEnglish -y\nEnglish nappy\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-gaz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-g\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-iġ\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-y\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-y\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"nappy\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"nappy\">\nFrom nap + -y."
    },
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    }
  ],
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    [
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      "nap#English"
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    ],
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      "*-gaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-gaz#Proto-Germanic:_adjectives"
    ],
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      "*-g",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-g#Proto-West_Germanic:_adjectives"
    ],
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      "-iġ",
      "-ig#Old_English:_adjectives"
    ],
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        "Having a nap (of cloth etc.); downy; shaggy.",
        "Of hair: tightly curled or twisted; frizzy (often specifically in reference to Afro textured hair)",
        "Inclined to sleep; sleepy."
      ],
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        "US",
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

A shallow, flat-bottomed earthenware or glass bowl with sloping sides.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English nap, from Old English hnæp, hnæpp, hnæpf (“cup, bowl”), from Proto-West Germanic *hnapp, from Proto-Germanic *hnappaz (“bowl, goblet, cup”). See hanaper.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionnapenm
  • Inherited-form mentionhnæpang
  • Inherited-form mention*hnappgmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*hnappazgem-pro
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "nap"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English nap"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "hnæp"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English hnæp"
    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*hnapp"
      },
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    },
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      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*hnappaz",
        "4": "",
        "5": "bowl, goblet, cup"
      },
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    }
  ],
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      "nap",
      "nap#Middle_English"
    ],
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    ],
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      "hnæpp#Old_English"
    ],
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      "hnæpf",
      "hnæpf#Old_English"
    ],
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      "*hnapp",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/hnapp"
    ],
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      "*hnappaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hnappaz"
    ],
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      "hanaper",
      "hanaper#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
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        "A shallow, flat-bottomed earthenware or glass bowl with sloping sides."
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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗
adj

Brittle.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Related to knap.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "links": [
    [
      "knap",
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  "descendants": [],
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    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Brittle."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Scotland"
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for nappy →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-bmFwcHk