from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Chapman \Chap"man\, n.; pl. {Chapmen}. [AS. ce['a]pman; ce['a]p
trade + man man; akin to D. koopman, Sw. k["o]pman, Dan.
ki["o]pmand, G. kaufmann.f. {Chap} to cheapen, and see
{Cheap}.]
1. One who buys and sells; a merchant; a buyer or a seller.
[Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
The word of life is a quick commodity, and ought
not, as a drug to be obtruded on those chapmen who
are unwilling to buy it. --T. Fuller.
[1913 Webster]
2. A peddler; a hawker.
[1913 Webster]