nope, not neck; it's an obsolete term for tablecloth, apparently related to napkin.

< Anglo-Norman nape, nap and Middle French nape (c1140 in Old French; French nappe) < classical Latin mappa MAP n.1, with dissimilation of initial consonant (see note). The post-classical Latin forms napa (from c1160 in British sources), nappa (first half of the 13th cent. in British sources) are prob. < or after Anglo-Norman and Old French. Cf. NAPKIN n.

edit: in classical L., mappa is towel, napkin; later to become map, chart, etc. (drawing a map on a napkin? )

Last edited by tsuwm; 04/07/2007 2:20 AM.