Map
/mæp/noun
A diagrammatic representation of an area, typically showing physical features, boundaries, or locations.
Did you know?The English word map is not ancient at all: it appears in the late 14th century from Medieval Latin mappa, originally meaning a cloth or napkin, which was used for a tablecloth-like chart before becoming a word for a chart itself.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*meh₂-
“to measure; to mark off”
Classical Latin
Latin
mappa
“a napkin, cloth, or handkerchief”
Medieval Latin
Latin
mappa mundi
“a world chart or world map, often drawn on cloth or parchment”
Late 14th Century
English
mappe
“a chart or diagram of a region or the world”
Modern English
English
map
“a visual representation of an area or relationship”