taipan

/ˈtaɪ.pæn/ Chinese Origin Business

Original Word

大班

Cantonese (daaih bāan)

Entered English

19th century

First recorded usage in English

The Story Behind "taipan"

From Cantonese 'daaih bāan' (大班), literally 'big class' or 'top rank'. Originally referred to the senior Western merchant in a trading house in China. Now means a business executive or boss in Hong Kong.

Example Usage

"The taipan of the trading company lived in a mansion on The Peak."

All Chinese Loanwords Look Up in Dictionary

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