Napkin
A napkin is a small square of cloth used at table. for dabbing crumbs and juices from around the mouth while eating. We have inherited the word from Middle English, borrowing the French nappe— a cloth covering for a table— and adding -kin, the diminutive suffix. Conventionally the napkin is folded and placed to the left of the place setting, outside the outermost fork. In an ambitious restaurant setting, or a caterer's hall, it may be folded into more or less elaborate shapes and displayed on the empty plate. A napkin folded into a fan and stuffed into a wine glass does not usually reassure anyone who is fond of wine. A 'napkin' is also a small scarf placed on the head by a woman entering a Roman Catholic church, as a conventional token of modesty. The words napkin and nappy are British English terms for a baby's diaper.
|
|
