An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Lappen

by Friedrich Kluge

Lappen, Lappe, masculine, ‘rag, patch,’ from Middle High German lappe, feminine and masculine; Old High German lappa, feminine, ‘piece of stuff hanging loose, rag’; compare Anglo-Saxon lœppa, ‘hem, lappet,’ English lap, and Dutch lap. The irregular correspondence of Anglo-Saxon pp to High German pp is obscure (Anglo-Saxon pp ought to be pf in High German). We may compare Greek λοβός, ‘lobe,’ or preferably Lithuanian lópas, ‘patch, rag,’ lópyti, ‘to patch.’