The word "nappy"

Status
Not open for further replies.
I've sometimes called them diapers when posting on here, but while I've nothing against the word it just seems uninteresting. When I was little, I would hear parents talking about changing their little ones' nappies, I saw intriguing packs of nappies in the supermarket, there were tantalising moments such as hearing a mum ask her older children if they wanted nappies for a long car journey; it was always nappies. So when I started realising that I could try them for myself, nappies, not diapers, were the focus of my interest. And the same for what I do in them; wee and poo, not pee or poop, are the words that connect with that satisfying feeling when I use the nappy or potty. The positive connotations of toilet-related words from childhood make doing a 'wee in a nappy' sound like a special fun privilege, while 'peeing in a diaper' sounds matter-of-fact and neutral. The more I think about it, the more 'loaded' with meaning the words seem!
 
Nappy was derived from the word napkin. In England napkin was used during the fifties and early sixties and over time changed to nappy.
 
ARBO said:
Nappy was derived from the word napkin. In England napkin was used during the fifties and early sixties and over time changed to nappy.
Click to expand...

I never would have thought it such a recent word... Thank you for the info.
 
we use the word nappy 99% more then the word diaper, and we live in the states. mommy advocates it sounds more cute and less clinical
 
ARBO said:
Nappy was derived from the word napkin. In England napkin was used during the fifties and early sixties and over time changed to nappy.
Click to expand...

Yes, my granny used to call them napkins too.
 
As an Australian, I was bought up using the terms "nappy" and "dummy." As a cultural thing, I prefer those over "diaper" or "pacifier," although I don't actively dislike those terms either.
I was going to say that "hate" was rather a strong emotion to have regarding the use of a word, then I remembered that I absolutely detest the term "binky!"
 
Napkins, sounds very thin and not absorbant! Imagine wearing a napkin and it's the only thing you have, sounds like me growing up, I once tried peeing in a sanitary pad used for peroids just to see if it only hold and luckily I was standing on the bathroom tiles because there was a puddle of pee in the floor, lol! :laugh:

We'll at least I have better now :)
 
im British so I don't really care
 
Arbo is right. Nappies, derived from sanitary napkins, describe what are now modern day cloth and reusable absorbent sheets of cloth which need to be fastened on. The term diaper was originally intended, and still does, properly refer to plastic and wood pulp absorbent sheets which are contoured and are fully disposable. (Which now also includes disposable cloth-like tabbed diapers). The newest pull-on disposable type diapers are more commonly referred to as absorbent underwear. And of course, a pad is simply that a small strip of padding, usually with a waterproof outer layer.

When anyone says nappy, I know full well they either mean cloth diapers, or they are just ignorant towards the proper use and/or simply don't care and/or are ashamed of themselves to use the proper language. Or whatever bad reasoning. The same goes with pads, diapers, absorbent underwear, etc.
 
Last edited:
icklespace said:
im British so I don't really care[/QUOTE
Same here what's the problem. Call them what you like it's all the same to me. My wife always calls them pads
Click to expand...
 
Either really works for me. I grew up in the US and used the term diapers, so it's typically what I call them. However, I do actually prefer the word nappy. As others have said, it sounds more cute. Although, I probably will continue to use the word diaper regardless as it's what is most often used. I generally adopt the words that are used in my environment.

So before i lived in Canada, I called it Soda, now that I live in Canada, I often call it pop. It just seems more natural when that is what everyone around me calls it.

As for hating words ... I think that is just plain silly. How does one come to "hate" a word? I can understand preferring one over the other ... but hate? How and why? o_O
 
I am British, born and raised in the UK, it was and still is nappy/nappies, regardless if they are cloth (rare, but making a come back) or disposable.

I like the sentence, "Lets get you in your nappy and plastic pants shall we?" But if someone said "Lets get you in your diaper and diaper cover shall we?" It does not 'sound right' to me, and I guess it is what you have been brought up with and I am sure this is a cultural 'thing'.

I do not allocate too much of my valuable life hating simple words like nappy or diaper.

T
 
I always choose "diaper".
 
I don't think the word diaper was originally created to represent disposables. Google search: "diaper origin" and it talks about geometric patterns, medieval Greek words, costly fabric etc.

Not at all to tell people how they associate words and items.

The whole napkin reference still does my head in, when I was growing up we had nappies and plastic pants then disposable nappies, the word diaper was only heard on American TV or Movies.
 
To me the words nappy and diaper are interchangeable as are the words pacifier, dummy and binky. Preference is a different matter. I personally prefer to wear my nappies and suck on my binky. Do think that is due to being put back into diapers as a form of punishment for having "accidents" in my pants. That being over 60 years ago now my memory is not exactly clear on the matter. As I recall, I liked having to wear a diaper but was also was old enough to be intensely humiliated to be seen wearing one. Thus nappy does not invoke a negative feeling. I still use the word diaper as diaper is the word used here. Am sure I never had a pacifier or binky as a child. Think they were not invented yet or my mother just did not believe in using one. Binky is a nice short word and the one I prefer. Because of my upbringing it was permitted to dislike but not to hate. Rather odd perhaps but that is just the way I am.
 
I think OP was just looking for an argument and got immediately shut down. Poor thing.

I'm in NZ where they're called nappies mostly, but many incontinence shops call them wrap arounds, diapers, incontinence briefs or whatever. Just another search parameter for me.
 
DapperSAP said:
I think OP was just looking for an argument and got immediately shut down. Poor thing.
Click to expand...

I am sure he doesn't mind that while he might hate the word (and for sure is entitled to like/love/hate whatever suits him) some of us love it and live it daily!
 
The word "diaper" is too much of an americanism for me, being British "nappy" is just what I'm used to hearing
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top