DictionaryRoot: mappa
Latin
mappa
cloth, tablecloth
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noun
napkin
NAP-kin/ˈnæpkɪn/
A piece of cloth or paper used to wipe the mouth and hands during a meal.
Etymology
The cloth root and diminutive make napkin effectively a “little tablecloth”: a small cloth for wiping the lips and hands at meals. That diminutive meaning is no longer normally felt.