naperoun

Middle English

Alternative forms

• naperon, napperone, napron, naproun, naprun, naprune
• (with reanalysis) aperon, apron, haperon

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French napperon (“tablecloth”); related to nape (“tablecloth”). The initial n was frequently reinterpreted as part of the preceding article in this word.^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌ(n)aːp(ə)ˈruːn/, /ˌ(n)ap(ə)-/, /-ˈroːn/, /ˈ(n)aːp(ə)run/, /ˈ(n)ap(ə)run/

Noun

naperoun (plural naperouns)

1. An apron or smock (garment worn over torso)^[2]
2. A bishop's apron; a short cassock.

Descendants

• English: apron
• Scots: apern, aupron, awpron

References

1. Jordan, Richard (1974)  Eugene Crook, transl., Handbook of the Middle English Grammar: Phonology (Janua Linguarum; 214)‎, The Hague: Mouton & Co. N.V., →DOI, § 171, page 161.
2. “nāprō̆n, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.