hamper

hamper · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*hnappaz“cup, bowl”
2. Frankish · derived from*hnapp“cup, bowl, basin”
3. Old French · derived fromhanapier
4. Anglo-Norman · derived fromhanaper
5. Middle English · inherited fromhamper
6. English todayhamper

From Middle English hamper, contracted from hanaper, hanypere, from Anglo-Norman hanaper, Old French hanapier, hanepier (“case for holding a large goblet or cup”), from hanap (“goblet, drinking cup”), from Frankish *hnapp (“cup, bowl, basin”), from Proto-Germanic *hnappaz (“cup, bowl”). Cognate with Old High German hnapf (“cup, bowl, basin”) (German Napf (“bowl”)), Dutch nap (“cup”), Old English hnæpp (“bowl”). More at nap.

hamper · verb, noun²

1. Middle English · inherited fromhamperen
2. English todayhamper

From Middle English hamperen, hampren (“to hamper, oppress”), probably of the same origin as English hamble (“to limp”), Scots hamp (“to halt in walking, stutter”), Dutch haperen (“to falter, hesitate”), German hemmen (“to stop, hinder, check”). More at hamble.

Words from the same roots