Chapmen

A chapman (plural chapmen) was an itinerant dealer or hawker in early modern Britain.

Old English céapmann was the regular term for "dealer, seller", cognate with the Dutch koopman with the same meaning. Old English céap meant "deal, barter, business". The modern adjective cheap is a comparatively recent development from the phrase a good cheap, literally "a good deal" (cf. modern Dutch goedkoop = cheap). The word also appears in names such as Cheapside, Eastcheap and Chepstow: all markets or dealing places. The name of the Danish capital Copenhagen has a similar origin, being derived from Køpmannæhafn, meaning "merchants' harbour" or "buyer's haven".