copain

Betekenis

1. friend, chum, mate (UK), pal, buddy
2. (informal) Ellipsis of petit copain.: boyfriend (boy/man to whom one has a romantic attachment)

Geslacht

♂️ Mannelijk

Uitgesproken als (IPA)

/kɔ.pɛ̃/

Etymologie

Inherited from Old French compaing, compain, from Late Latin compāniō (nominative form) (compare also Italian compagno), from com- + pānis, literally “with-bread”, a word first attested in the Frankish Lex Salica as a translation of a Germanic word, probably Frankish *galaibo, *gahlaibo (“messmate”, literally “with-bread”), from *hlaib (“loaf, bread”). See also compagnon, from the accusative form of the same Late Latin term (compāniōnem), whence English companion. The sense of 'boyfriend' is by ellipsis of petit copain.