Where does “beaucoup” come from?

beaucoup (French) comes from Old French biau cop, from Latin bellus, from Latin villus, from Latin vellus, from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- — to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool.

beaucoup (French): much, very much, a lot

Definitions

  1. much, very much, a lot

Ancestry of “beaucoup”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchbiau copa lot; much
2Latinbellusbeautiful, pretty, handsome; pleasant, agreeable,...
3Latinvillushair, tuft of hair, shaggy hair
4LatinvellusThe wool shorn from a sheep; fleece; wool; The...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂welh₁-to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool

Words derived from “beaucoup”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- →Every word from Latin vellus →Every word from Latin villus →