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Where does the word "sampan" come from? It comes from Chinese san + ban, and was adopted directly into English (1600s-1700s).
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Where does the word "sampan" come from? It comes from Chinese san + ban, and was adopted directly into English (1600s-1700s).
Sampan’s story begins in Chinese: san + ban meant “three boards.” Combining "san" (three) and "ban" (board), describing the boat's flat-bottomed construction. It reached English by 1600s-1700s as sampan. Chinese 'three boards'. Today, sampan means a small, flat-bottomed wooden boat used in East and Southeast Asia.
- Stage 1 · Chinese · medieval san + ban "three boards", combining "san" (three) and "ban" (board), describing the boat's flat-bottomed construction.
- Stage 2 · English · 1600s-1700s sampan "a small, flat-bottomed wooden boat", Chinese 'three boards'.