20kWEB: Origin of the word Dapple. Etymology of the word Dapple. Etymology Dictionary.

DAPPLE, a spot on an animal. (Scand.) 'As many eyes upon his body as my gray mare hath dapples;' Sidney, Arcadia, b. ii. p. 271. Hence the expression: 'His stede was al dapple-gray;' Chaucer, C. T. 13813 (Group B, 2074).—Icel. depill, (= dapill), a spot, dot; a dog with spots over the eyes is also called depill; the orig. sense is a pond, a little pool; from dapi, a pool, in Ivar Aasen; Cleasby and Vigfusson. Cf. Swed. dial. depp, a large pool of water; dypla, a deep pool; Rietz. Rietz also cites (from Molbech) Dan. dial. duppe, a hole where water collects; cf. also O. Du. dobbe, a pit, pool (Oudemans), and prov. Eng. dub, a pool. β. The ultimate connection is not with the E. dab, to strike gently, but with the verb to dip, and the sb. dimple. See Dip, Dimple, Deep. Der. dapple, verb; 'Dapples the drowsy east with spots of grey;' Much Ado, v. 3. 27; and dappled. ¶ As Mr. Wedgwood well observes, 'the resemblance of dapple-grey to Icel. apalgrár, or apple-grey, Fr. gris pommelé, is accidental.' The latter phrase is equivalent to Chaucer's pomely-grey, C. T. prol. 616 (or 618).

Etymology Dictionary

Origin of the word DAPPLE. Etymology of the word DAPPLE.