Where does “beaucoup” come from?
Beaucoup comes from Old French biau cop, literally meaning "fine stroke" or "good blow," which evolved to mean "a large amount."
beaucoup (English): Much, many, a lot of; An abundance; In abundance
Definitions
- Much, many, a lot of; An abundance; In abundance
Ancestry of “beaucoup”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | beaucoup | much, very much, a lot |
| 2 | Old French | biau cop | a lot; much |
| 3 | Latin | bellus | beautiful, pretty, handsome; pleasant, agreeable,... |
| 4 | Latin | villus | hair, tuft of hair, shaggy hair |
| 5 | Latin | vellus | The wool shorn from a sheep; fleece; wool; The... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂welh₁- | to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool |