It's from the Latin for "hemp" because it was often made of hemp; add a letter & it means to take a survey
clues - Season 24 [PAR] #5515, aired 2008-07-25, ADJECTIVES: Meaning "painful", it literally refers to the 
..... #5408, aired 2008-02-27, WORD ORIGINS: It's from the Latin for "hemp" 
because it was often made of hemp; add a letter & it means to take a survey 
canvas.