>Is the word tamp "to press a substance down into
>something (e.g. a pipe)" an s-less variety. And how
>about tampon? which in French is "plug" I think. Are
>these from Frankish?
Tamp is akin to Engl. tap, and thus to OHG zapho "tap".
MHG zapfe, zepfe > today's German der Zapfen (rare: Zapf).
"Tap, plug" and several other meanings (incl. the fruit of
coniferes). Akin to Zipfel ("tip, end, lap, tail, corner & al.")
and Zopf (plait, braid, pigtail; kind of bread; kind of cake).
(The Oktoberfest officially starts after the mayor hits
the tap into a barrel and shouts "Ozapft is!" (i.e., "Angezapft
ist (es)!")
Tap: cf. Rum. cep [c^ep] < Lat. cippus.
cf. Hung. csap [c^Op].
OTOH, I'm not sure whether Ger. tapp!, Tapp, Tappe, Tappen,
tappig = tapsig, täppisch, tap(p)(e)rig (all < MHG tape "Tatze,
Pfote", i.e. paw) belong here. In connection with the "gait",
"feet" and "shoe". Akin to Engl. tap, as in tapdance.
And, at least in German, somehow akin to the following:
"To press" (esp. by treading on it), "making it even" is
rendered by stampfen < OHG stam(p)fon < stampf
"Stoßgerät" < PIE *stembh- "mit den Füßen stampfen".
Cf. to stamp.
Akin to Stempel < MHG stempfel < late OHG stemphil.
George