chapman

See also: Chapman

English

Etymology

From Middle English chapman, chepman, from Old English ċēapmann (“dealer, merchant”), from Proto-West Germanic *kaupamann, equivalent to cheap (noun) +‎ man.

Cognate with synonymous West Frisian keapman, Dutch koopman, German Low German Koopmann, German Kaufmann, Swedish köpman.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃæpmən/

Noun

chapman (plural chapmen)

1. (obsolete) A dealer or merchant, especially an itinerant one.

   Synonyms: cheapjack (cognate), peddler

   • c. 1610, Ben Jonson, The Alchemist, act 3:

     Done. They are gone: the sum is here in bank, my Face. I would we knew another chapman now would buy 'em outright.

   • 1790, Robert Burns, Tam o' Shanter‎:

     When chapmen billies leave the street, / And drouthy neibors, neibors meet, / As market days are wearing late, / An' folk begin to tak the gate

2. (obsolete) A purchaser.

Derived terms

• chap, shortened form (16th century)
• chapmanhood
• chapmanship

Related terms

• chapbook

Further reading

• “chapman”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• chapman (occupation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Middle English

Alternative forms

• capman, chepman, chipman, schapman, schipman, shapmann
• chapmon, chæpmon, chepmon (Early Middle English)
• chappmann (Ormulum)

Etymology

From Old English ċēapmann, from Proto-West Germanic *kaupamann; equivalent to chep (“price”) +‎ man (“man”).

Forms in /i/ may be from the Old English variant ċȳpman, presumably influenced by the verb ċīepan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃapman/, /ˈt͡ʃɛpman/, /ˈt͡ʃipman/, (West Midlands) /-mɔn/

Noun

chapman (plural chapmen)

1. A merchant; a seller of goods.
2. (figuratively) A negotiator or dealer.
3. (by extension) A purchaser of goods.

Descendants

• English: chapman
  • ⇒ English: chap
    • Pennsylvania German: Tschaepp (“guy”)
• Scots: chapman

References

• “chap-man, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Scots

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English chapman, from Old English cēapmann (“dealer”) (cognate with synonymous German Kaufmann), from cēap (“barter, business, dealing”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tʃapman/

Noun

chapman (plural chapmen)

1. packman, pedlar
   • 1790, Robert Burns, Tam o' Shanter:

     When chapman billies leave the street, / And drouthy neibors, neibors, meet

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)