napkin
NAP-kin · noun
Middle EnglishEnglish
Origin
From Middle English napekyn or napkyn, formed from nape, meaning 'cloth,' plus the diminutive suffix -kin. So the word simply means a little piece of cloth.
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Journey
It began as 'small cloth' and that's essentially what a napkin still is today.
Related words
The -kin ending here is the same diminutive suffix found in words like 'lambkin' or 'bumpkin,' marking something small.
More words
From Middle English
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