'palp' originates from Latin, specifically the verb 'palpare,' where the root 'palp-' meant 'to touch or stroke.'

'palp' changed from the Late Latin/Medieval Latin noun 'palpus' and entered scientific English usage (New Latin) to denote the tactile appendage, eventually appearing in modern English as 'palp.'

Initially it meant 'to touch or stroke,' but over time it became specialized to denote a tactile appendage (particularly in arthropod anatomy) and, occasionally, an abbreviated verb form meaning 'to palpate.'