beaucoup

== English == === Alternative forms === boku, boocoo, bookoo, buku === Etymology === Borrowed from French beaucoup, early 20th century. Popularized by American GIs during the Vietnam War. The pronunciation /ˈbuːkuː/ influenced by Louisiana French boucoup, a variant. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /boʊˈkuː/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈbuˌku/, /ˈboʊˌku/ (especially Louisiana) IPA(key): /ˈbuːkuː/ Hyphenation: beau‧coup Rhymes: -uː === Determiner === beaucoup (US, especially Louisiana, informal) Much, many, a lot of. === Noun === beaucoup (plural beaucoups) An abundance. === Adverb === beaucoup (not comparable) In abundance. == French == === Alternative forms === boucoup (Louisiana) === Etymology === Inherited from Old French biau cop, first attested circa 1210. 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 === IPA(key): /bo.ku/ (Louisiana) IPA(key): /bo.ku/, /bu.ku/ Rhymes: -u Hyphenation: beau‧coup === Adverb === beaucoup much, very much, a lot [with de ‘of’] Merci beaucoup! ― Thank you very much! Je mange beaucoup. ― I eat a lot. On connaît beaucoup de gens. ― We know a lot of people. (Louisiana) very Synonym: très Un beaucoup vieux homme. ― A very old man. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== Louisiana Creole: bokou, boukou Mauritian Creole: boukou → English: beaucoup, boku, boocoo, bookoo, buku → Nigerian Pidgin: boku ==== See also ==== === References === === Further reading === “beaucoup”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012