Dappled
/ˈdæp.əld/noun
Marked with spots or patches of light and shade, color, or pattern.
Did you know?Its core is tied to an old Germanic word for a blotch or speck, which is why the idea of “dapple” still feels like something scattered across a surface.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*dap- / *dapp-
“A blotch, speck, or patch”
Old English
OE
dapul / dapple
“A spot, blotch, or speckled marking”
Middle English
ME
dapplen
“To mark with spots or specks”
Late Middle English
ME
dapled
“Spotted or speckled”
Modern English
English
dappled
“Marked with spots or patches of light, shade, or color”