A large, highly venomous snake native to Australia; or a foreign businessman or power broker in China.
From Cantonese 'taai paan,' originally referring to a foreign merchant or businessman in Hong Kong and China. The snake received this name because of its fearsome reputation and power within its environment. The two meanings are entirely separate etymologically.
Taipan has two completely different meanings from two different cultures—a deadly snake and a Hong Kong businessman—yet most English speakers only know one, showing how words hide entire histories from us!
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