Tai-Pan
Encyclopedia
The term tai-pan was originally used to describe a foreign businessman in China
or Hong Kong
in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Cantonese colloquialism
is now used in a more general sense for business executives of any origin. Its literal meaning is top class, which is comparable to the English slang
term big shot.
The term was commonly used to refer to senior business executives and entrepreneurs in Hong Kong
when it was under British
rule, particularly those in charge of historic trading companies such as Jardine Matheson and Swire Group
.
Its first recorded use in English is in the Canton Register
of 28 October 1834. Historical variant spellings include taepan (first appearance), typan, and tai-pan. The term gained wide currency outside China after the publication of Somerset Maugham's 1922 short story
"The Taipan" and James Clavell
's 1966 novel
Tai-Pan
. It is a naturalised word which is not usually italicised or hyphenated.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
or Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Cantonese colloquialism
Colloquialism
A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
is now used in a more general sense for business executives of any origin. Its literal meaning is top class, which is comparable to the English slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
term big shot.
The term was commonly used to refer to senior business executives and entrepreneurs in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
when it was under British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
rule, particularly those in charge of historic trading companies such as Jardine Matheson and Swire Group
Swire Group
The Swire Group is a transnational corporation headquartered in the Swire House in the City of Westminster, London, England. It controls a range of wholly owned businesses, including deep-sea shipping, cold storage, road transport, and agricultural activities. The current chairman is James...
.
Its first recorded use in English is in the Canton Register
Canton Register
The Canton Register was an English newspaper founded by Scottish merchant James Matheson and Philadelphian William Whiteman Wood. First published in Canton on November 8, 1827 and printed every two weeks, it was China's first English-language newspaper....
of 28 October 1834. Historical variant spellings include taepan (first appearance), typan, and tai-pan. The term gained wide currency outside China after the publication of Somerset Maugham's 1922 short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
"The Taipan" and James Clavell
James Clavell
James Clavell, born Charles Edmund DuMaresq Clavell was an Australian-born, British novelist, screenwriter, director and World War II veteran and prisoner of war...
's 1966 novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Tai-Pan
Tai-Pan (novel)
Tai-Pan is a novel written by James Clavell about European and American traders who move into Hong Kong in 1842 following the end of the First Opium War. It is the second book in Clavell's "Asian Saga".-Plot summary:...
. It is a naturalised word which is not usually italicised or hyphenated.