LL-L 'Etymology' 2006.09.05 (04) [A]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 05 September 2006 * Volume 04
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From: Tom Mc Rae [t.mcrae at uq.net.au]
Subject: LEXICON: The Surname Napier and its Origin

Discussion about the inventor of logarithms John Napier(or Neper) has got me
thinking about this surname and its origins.
Dr Napier was honoured by having a new Scottish University named after him some
years ago.
The  Napier surname is actually quite common in Scotland we had a well patronised
herbalist dispensary run for over a century by a family bearing that name.
Place was still at its original site in 2004 when I visited the City.
As I recall shops selling different types of cloth in Scotland were known as
'naperies' right up to the 1940's at least so I wonder if the surname has
anything to do with cloth ? 
Could it be of Lowlands origin ? Any ideas ?

Regards

Tom Mc Rae
Brisbane Australia

Oh Wad Some Power the Giftie Gie Us
Tae See Oorsel's as Ithers See Us
Robert Burns

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From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Etymology

Hi, Tom!

The name Napier is pretty common in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa as well.

As far as I know, "napier" is also a noun in English, albeit used rarely these
days, for obvious reasons.

A napier -- the more French-based equivalent of more Germanicized "naper" or
"naperer" -- is someone who is in charge of table linens, obviously in well-to-do
homes.  The word is attested since 12the 13th century and comes from Old French
_nappier_.

In those days of Norman rule and increasingly refined manners, a tablecloth was
known as a _nappe_ in Norman French and as either a _nap(pe)_ (["nap(@)]) or as a
_nape_ (["na:p@]) in English (depending on the dialect).  Collectively, table
linens were known as _nap(p)erie_ ~ _nap(p)ery_ (["na(:)p at ri] < [na(:)p@"ri:],
from French _napperie_.  A smaller cloth, used for cleaning hands and faces (and
whatever else in those days), came to be known by the diminutive form _napkin_
(["napkIn]) -- hence more original American English "napkin" for what elsewhere
is "serviette" (where, probably starting as a euphemism, "napkin" > "nappy" came
to be used for what in American English is "diaper").  The word "nape" is now
obsolete, though you will still find it mentioned within historical contexts.  I
have occasionally come across it in Middle English texts (which I enjoy reading
most of the time).  A 14th-century encyclopedia describes a _nape_ as a _Boorde
and metecloth_, thus as a table cloth and "meal cloth."

It has been alleged that French _nappe_ underwent an initial shift in that it
came from Latin _mappa_ 'cloth', 'towel', from which "map" is supposed to be
derived as well (1557), a word that according to Quintilian is of Punic origin.

Perhaps this was more than you hoped and cared to learn in response to your question.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

P.S.: In case you wonder about "nape" in the sense of 'back of the neck', it's
origin appears to be unknown.

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