[Adding to the general discussion, but not in any way approaching the original question emoticon] My Etymological Dictionary of the English Language indicates that nape and nap are unrelated:
Nap (1) a short sleep ... formerly a verb; ME, nappen, to doze ... AS, hnaeppian, to nap; hnaeppao is a gloss upon dormit, Ps. xl. 9, ed. Spelman. Cf. Bavarian knappen, to nod with the head ...; OHG. hnaffezen, to nap. ...
(2), the roughish surface of cloth. (MDu.) .... Prob. introduced by Du. clothworkers. ... M Du. noppe, “to nap of woole or cloath,” hexham; cf. MDu. noppen, to sheare of [off] the nap; ... Cf. Du. nop, nap; Dan. noppe, frizzed nap of cloth; MSwed. nopp, nap; Low G. nobben, nap; Bremen Worterbuch. Also Norw. napp, nap, and Norw. nuppa, to pluck off with the fingers; AS. knoppian, to pluck, ... AS. a-hneapan, to pluck off; Goth. dis-hnupnan, to be torn in pieces; dis-hniupan, to tear to pieces. All from Tuet. base, *hneup. to pluck, pull.
Nape, the joint of the neck behind. (E.) ... The original sense is projection of “knob;” and the term must have been first applied to the slight knob at the back of the head, felt on passing the finger upwards from the neck; cf. OFries, halsknap, nape of the neck. It is, in fact, a mere variant of ME. knappe, a knob, button, ... Cf. Icel. knappr,. a knob, stud, button; AS. cnaep, the top of a hill.
And I wonder how widespread is of troy’s pronunciation of “nape” as “nap?” I’ve never heard “nape” pronounced with a short a.
