serviette vs. napkin (2024)

R

reka39

Banned

Italian

  • Jul 2, 2009
  • #1

Hello!
Is there any difference between "serviette" and "napkin"?
Thank you.

  • Esca

    Senior Member

    ATX

    USA - English

    • Jul 2, 2009
    • #2

    Reka,
    "Napkin" is the term I would use. "Serviette" is a loanword from French and I've never heard it in general spoken English.
    Others, feel free to disagree.

    P

    Paxal

    Senior Member

    Paris

    French

    • Jul 2, 2009
    • #3

    Wouldn't a serviette be made of paper while a napkin is material?

    cuchuflete

    Senior Member

    Maine, EEUU

    EEUU-inglés

    • Jul 2, 2009
    • #4

    We have at least one bit of evidence that some BE speakers say 'serviette'.

    I wipe my mouth with a serviette.

    Rover

    Loob

    Senior Member

    English UK

    • Jul 2, 2009
    • #5

    You've opened something of a can of worms, reka, at least for BrE speakersserviette vs. napkin (4)

    I, personally, use serviette for the paper variety, and napkin for the linen one.

    But I still remember the scandalised look on the face of a rather posh acquaintance when I used the word serviette once in a conversation with him. It is, you see, one of those words considered

    by some

    to mark the speaker out as irretrievably "lower middle class".

    (For more on language and snobbery, see this Wiki article on "U and non-U"serviette vs. napkin (5))

    P

    Paxal

    Senior Member

    Paris

    French

    • Jul 2, 2009
    • #6

    Thanks Loob, that was really informative.

    K

    kalamazoo

    Senior Member

    US, English

    • Jul 2, 2009
    • #7

    In the US, they're all napkins and we don't have any serviettes. Should there be a need to distinguish the type of napkins, one can say "cloth napkin" or "paper napkin." At least this is true in my dialect of AmE.

    • Jul 2, 2009
    • #8

    To me, napkin is American English and serviette is British English. It doesn't matter if it is paper or cloth. In South Africa I'm sure it's always serviette. I know in America it's always napkin.

    R

    reka39

    Banned

    Italian

    • Jul 2, 2009
    • #9

    Loob said:

    You've opened something of a can of worms, reka, at least for BrE speakersserviette vs. napkin (6)

    I, personally, use serviette for the paper variety, and napkin for the linen one.

    But I still remember the scandalised look on the face of a rather posh acquaintance when I used the word serviette once in a conversation with him. It is, you see, one of those words considered

    by some

    to mark the speaker out as irretrievably "lower middle class".

    (For more on language and snobbery, see this Wiki article on "U and non-U"serviette vs. napkin (7))

    It wasn't my intention to cause this "faux pas". serviette vs. napkin (8)

    ewie

    Senior Member

    Manchester 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

    English English

    • Jul 3, 2009
    • #10

    Loob said:

    You've opened something of a can of worms, reka, at least for BrE speakersserviette vs. napkin (10)

    I, personally, use serviette for the paper variety, and napkin for the linen one.

    I fully agree with Mrs.Loob.

    natkretep

    Moderato con anima (English Only)

    Singapore

    English (Singapore/UK), basic Chinese

    • Jul 3, 2009
    • #11

    Yes, Loob's distinction is roughly what you'd find in my neck of the woods.

    N

    Nymeria

    Senior Member

    Barbados

    English - Barbadian/British/educated in US universities blend

    • Jul 3, 2009
    • #12

    kalamazoo said:

    In the US, they're all napkins and we don't have any serviettes. Should there be a need to distinguish the type of napkins, one can say "cloth napkin" or "paper napkin." At least this is true in my dialect of AmE.

    That's how I'd say it!

    M

    MichaelW

    Senior Member

    English (British)

    • Jul 3, 2009
    • #13

    I agree with Loob in post #5, certainly amongst those who are snobbish amongst British English speakers have used "napkin" and "serviette" to distinguish U from non-U.

    But these terms are always shifting, in fact it is a game to know what is the 'proper' term to use to mark oneself out as U as opposed to non-U.

    Is it a lavatory or a toilet? Guess your 'class' from your answer.

    ewie

    Senior Member

    Manchester 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

    English English

    • Jul 3, 2009
    • #15

    pickarooney said:

    it was positively decadent to even have such a thing

    Do you mean paper ones, cloth ones, or anything at all to wipe your mush with?

    shawnee

    Senior Member

    Melbourne

    English - Australian

    • Jul 3, 2009
    • #16

    Serviette is fairly universal in Australian E. with napkin reserved for those special occasions when they're made of material and some of the food has been cooked inside the house as opposed to the barbie.

    S

    S. English speaker

    Member

    British English

    • May 6, 2020
    • #17

    A serviette is a paper napkin. A napkin is made of material

    se16teddy

    Senior Member

    London but from Yorkshire

    English - England

    • May 6, 2020
    • #18

    In my petit-bourgeois childhood home, we called the linen/cotton ones serviettes. I understand that this is the "non-U" (not upper class) term.

    We didn't use paper ones because they cost money to replace: the cloth ones just went in the wash from time to time.

    Y

    You little ripper!

    Senior Member

    Australia

    Australian English

    • May 6, 2020
    • #19

    What about those of us who just use a tissue or a square of toilet paper? serviette vs. napkin (16)

    natkretep

    Moderato con anima (English Only)

    Singapore

    English (Singapore/UK), basic Chinese

    • May 6, 2020
    • #20

    I've never seen anyone using a loo roll at the table! Kitchen towel or tissue paper maybe. And neither of those would be called serviette or napkin!

    Loob

    Senior Member

    English UK

    • May 6, 2020
    • #21

    You little ripper! said:

    What about those of us who just use a tissue or a square of toilet paper? serviette vs. napkin (19)

    serviette vs. napkin (20)serviette vs. napkin (21)serviette vs. napkin (22)

    Y

    You little ripper!

    Senior Member

    Australia

    Australian English

    • May 6, 2020
    • #22

    natkretep said:

    I've never seen anyone using a loo roll at the table!

    You clearly don’t rub shoulders with the piss-elegant, nat! serviette vs. napkin (23)

    Packard

    Senior Member

    USA, English

    • May 6, 2020
    • #23

    For me the difference is this: A napkin is a word everyone understands and a serviette is one that almost no one understands. [USA]

    I would not use "serviette" because it would not be understood (and I would not want to be "non-U"**)

    Difference Between Napkin and Serviette | Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

    Both these words napkin and serviette basically refers to a square piece of cloth/paper we use at a meal to wipe the fingers or lips and to protect garments. In the US, the word napkin is more commonly used than serviette, which is rarely used. In the UK, napkin is a traditionally upper-class word, and serviette is a ‘non-U’ (middle class) word
    .

    **"Non-U" would likewise not be understood in the USA.

    Last edited:

    Roxxxannne

    Senior Member

    American English (New England and NYC)

    • May 6, 2020
    • #24

    You little ripper! said:

    What about those of us who just use a tissue or a square of toilet paper? serviette vs. napkin (26)

    <Cue Four Yorkshiremen>

    I've never heard anyone use the word serviette other than in high school French class. The object under your fork at the table is a napkin, whether it is cloth or paper. I understand, though, that the paper napkin industry has been suffering because millennials are using paper towels from a roll instead.

    Andygc

    Senior Member

    Devon

    British English

    • May 6, 2020
    • #25

    S. English speaker said:

    A serviette is a paper napkin. A napkin is made of material.

    You left out the first part of the first sentence: "Some people claim that ..." (But paper, is, of course, a material.)

    ewie

    Senior Member

    Manchester 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

    English English

    • May 6, 2020
    • #26

    Packard said:

    **"Non-U" would likewise not be understood in the USA.

    There are a

    lot

    of Britishfolk who wouldn't know what you were talking about either.
    Apparently, Mr Ripper, there are now some Britishfolk so dainty that they use towelettes in their dunnies, presumably for wiping their facettes.

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