chap
UK[tʃæp]US[tʃæp]
n
A man or boy.
v
(of the skin) To become cracked, rough, or sore, typically through exposure to cold weather.
Etymology
The word 'chap' has a distinctly English journey. It began as a 16th-century abbreviation of 'chapman,' an Old English term ('cēapmann') for a merchant, from 'cēap' (bargain, trade) and 'mann' (man). The term's meaning shifted from a trader who engaged with customers to a familiar term for any fellow or customer, and finally to its current informal sense for any man or boy. The verb sense, describing skin becoming sore, is unrelated and likely originates from the Middle English 'chappen,' meaning to crack or split, which is of imitative origin.
Analysis
This word is a simplex form. It originated as a shortened form of the earlier English word "chapman," which meant a merchant or trader.
Examples
He's a friendly chap who always says hello.
After hours in the cold wind, my lips began to chap painfully.
I met an interesting old chap at the pub yesterday.