Plural of chapman; multiple merchants, traders, or traveling salespeople.
Plural of chapman, from Old English ceap (to trade) + man. Chapmen were common in medieval markets and fairs, and the word survived in English place names like Chapman Street.
Chapmen appear constantly in medieval court records and guild documents trying to regulate them—they were the original freelance traders who worked outside the formal guild system, much like gig workers today.
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