beaucoup

much, very much, a lot; very

“Merci beaucoup!” — Thank you very much!

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”.