How did "coucou" (with its original "cuckoo" meaning) become a greeting in French?

Question

Several times now, I have seen French people greet each other (via text chat) by saying "coucou". This appears to simply be derived from the word of the same spelling "coucou", describing the noise a cuckoo makes. I'm curious as to how this became a form of greeting. Does anybody know? Also, do French people actually say "coucou" to each other in real life or is it just in text chats that this phenomenon has taken hold?

Answer 1

Hi, it's right that you use this expression to say hello when you write to a friend. In general you use it when you start a femal chat. It's not using during a male chat....... It refers to French clock when the bird goes out to give the time with this sound.

Hope this helps!!!!

Answer 2

Hi Jerimiah:

In my experience, "cuckoo" is only used in text chats and e-mails. I have pen pals (or should I say e-mail pals) in Algeria and France and both of them always put "cuckoo" in the subject line of their e-mails.

"Cuckoo" in French is kind of comparable to "peekaboo" in English.

Hope this helps!