From Old French nappe 'tablecloth' + Middle English diminutive -kin, literally 'little tablecloth' — the nappe derives from Latin mappa, a word of Punic (Carthaginian) origin.
A piece of cloth or paper used at meals to wipe the fingers and lips and to protect clothing.
From Old French nappe 'tablecloth' (from Latin mappa 'napkin, cloth') with the Middle English diminutive suffix -kin (from Middle Dutch -kijn). The word literally means 'little tablecloth.' The Latin mappa is of Punic (Carthaginian) origin, making this word one of the few in English that ultimately traces to the Phoenician language of North Africa. Key