shanghai English · revision 10395

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=eponym|attested=1854|origins=zh 上海}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ʃæŋˈhaɪ/, /ˈʃæŋ.haɪ/ ''(UK)''; /ˈʃæŋ.haɪ/, /ʃæŋˈhaɪ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is named after Shanghai, the Chinese seaport, literally by the sea, from shang, on, above, and hai, sea,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from the former practice of kidnapping men to crew ships on long voyages, such as those to Shanghai and the East.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To drug or otherwise make a man unconscious and ship him as a sailor: 1854 in Etymonline, 1871 in Barnhart, the OED and Merriam-Webster, originally American nautical slang.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The transferred sense, to force or compel, to abduct, is by 1919.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) In the mid-19th century Shanghai was also the name of a long-legged breed of hens in great vogue, supposed to come from there (1853),^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) hence old American slang senses for long, tall people or things.^(Etymonline) In Australia and New Zealand a shanghai is a catapult (1863), probably an alteration of Scots shangan, a cleft stick,^(OED 1989)^(NODE 1998)^(MWU 2024) and to shanghai is to shoot with one.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1853 – Shanghai fowl.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1854 – to kidnap a sailor.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1863 – a catapult (Australia).^(OED 1989)

+ * 1919 – to compel.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To kidnap someone for service as a sailor, especially after drugging him.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To force or trick someone into doing something.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(Australia, New Zealand)'' To shoot with a catapult.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(Australia, New Zealand)'' A catapult.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[shanghaier]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[press-gang]]

+ * [[kidnap]]

+ * [[crimp]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}