English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from French beaucoup. Popularized by the American GIs during the Vietnam War.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /boʊˈkuː/, /ˈbu.ku/
  • (file)

Determiner edit

beaucoup

  1. (US, informal) Much, many, a lot of.
    You know that cost beaucoup bucks!

Noun edit

beaucoup (plural beaucoups)

  1. An abundance.

Adverb edit

beaucoup (not comparable)

  1. In abundance.

French edit

Etymology edit

Inherited from Old French biau cop, first attested circa 1210.[1] Equivalent to beau (nice, beautiful) +‎ coup (hit, strike). The latter word also means “helping of soup or beverage”, first attested circa 1375, whose sense may have triggered or reinforced beaucoup to mean “a lot”.

Pronunciation edit

Adverb edit

beaucoup

  1. much, very much, a lot
    Merci beaucoup!Thank you very much!
    Je mange beaucoup.I eat a lot.

Related terms edit

Descendants edit

  • Louisiana Creole: boucou
  • Mauritian Creole: boukou
  • English: beaucoup, boku, boocoo, bookoo, buku
  • Nigerian Pidgin: boku

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Claude Buridant Grammaire nouvelle de l'ancien français, 2000. →ISBN

Further reading edit