'mapping' originates from the word 'map,' which comes from the Latin word 'mappa,' meaning 'napkin' or 'cloth,' used to describe a map drawn on cloth.

'mappa' transformed into the Old French word 'mappe,' and eventually became the modern English word 'map' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'a piece of cloth,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a representation of an area.'