Where does “chapman” come from?
chapman (Middle English) comes from Old English cēapmann, from Old English cēap, from Proto-Germanic kaupōną, from Proto-Germanic kaupô, from Latin caupo, from Proto-Indo-European kaup-.
Ancestry of “chapman”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | cēapmann | dealer |
| 2 | Old English | cēap | cattle, purchase, sale, traffic, business,... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | kaupōną | to buy; trade |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | kaupô | innkeeper; merchant |
| 5 | Latin | caupo | Tradesman; Innkeeper, shopkeeper |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kaup- | — |