'clapper' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'clappen', where 'clap' meant 'a sudden sharp sound' and the suffix '-er' formed an agent or instrument noun.

'clapper' changed from the Middle English word 'clappen' (an imitative verb meaning 'to make a sharp sound') and eventually became the modern English noun 'clapper' referring to an agent or thing that makes a clapping or striking sound.

Initially, it meant 'one who or that which makes a sharp clap or sound'; over time it evolved to denote specific instruments such as the internal striker of a bell or handheld clap devices, as well as the film 'clapper' (clapperboard).