Etymology
From Middle High German *pappe (attested 15th century, but earlier the derivative pepelen, from the source of modern Papp (“thick soup, mash”).
Also compare modern päppeln. The original sense of the word was “pap, mush cooked from flour” and “wheatpaste, flour-based glue”. It was then used for a material of book covers made by gluing together several sheets of paper, whence finally “any thick layer of paper” (18th century). The older sense is continued by regional Papp, which see for more.
Noun
Pappe f (genitive Pappe, plural Pappen)
- paperboard, cardboard
- Synonym: Karton
- (slang, drugs) blotter acid (a piece of paper laced with LSD)
- Synonym: Acid
- Alternative form of Papp (“pap, porridge; wheatpaste”)
Usage notes
- The distinction between Pappe and Karton is chiefly regional, the latter being preferred in the south, especially in Austria and Switzerland. (In the north, Karton is used mainly as a countable noun meaning “cardboard box”.) In technical contexts and idiolectally, fine distinctions may be made between both words, but these vary and have little bearing on general usage.
Declension
More information singular, plural ...
Close
Declension of Pappe [feminine]
Further reading
- “Pappe” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “Pappe” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
- “Pappe” in Duden online
- “Pappe” in OpenThesaurus.de
Pappe on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia de