The Diapered Cat
Two words in Hebrew that come from the same root and yet are neither diametrically opposed nor related are ‘cat’ and ‘diaper’.
The root is (ח ת ל) and the word for cat is khatoul (חָתוּל) and the word for diaper is khaytoul (חִתּוּל). Without the diacritical markings, the words are identical. The verb ‘to diaper’ is khaytl (חִתֵּל) and this is where the connection between cat and diaper comes into play.
The linguistic connection between the words ‘cat’ and ‘diaper’ is in the act of cleaning. Cats are fairly sanitary creatures and are so kind as to deposit their waste into a tidy hole and then cover it with some material to diffuse and soften the odor. In much the same way, although not really at all, the diaper is used to carry around the waste of the very young (and very old).
It’s a thin connection, to be sure, but apparently that’s the connection between ‘cat’ and ‘diaper’.
I saw Uri Harel say that they are the same word because cats curl around things and wrap themsevles around things, people’s legs, heads, etc and diapers are made to wrap around the body or object.