Geaux – Meaning & Correct Pronunciation

You might have seen “geaux” when people cheer on their favourite sporting team. At first glance, it doesn’t look like a word and definitely doesn’t look English. This article will explain everything you need to know about using “geaux” correctly.

What Does “Geaux” Mean?

“Geaux” means “go.” It’s used as a celebratory term to cheer on a sporting team. You might hear people chant “geaux Tigers” or “geaux Saints” based on the team they’re rooting for. It’s an Americanization, meaning it doesn’t exist outside American sports teams.

According to Urban Dictionary, “geaux” means “a french word-play on the verb go.”

Urban Dictionary also goes on to state that it originates from areas highly populated with Cajun Americans. The Louisiana state team “Tigers” is most notorious for using “geaux” before it.

Here are a few other examples to help you understand it:

• Let’s geaux, Tigers! You guys have got this!
• Geaux, Saints! It’s time you open up and show ’em who’s boss.
• Geaux Fresh and try out the sporting venue’s new menu!

“Geaux” literally translates to “go.” Each example above could see “geaux” replaced with “go,” and the meaning would remain the same.

Correct Pronunciation of “Geaux”

There are two main pronunciations of “geaux” that you need to know about. One follows American pronunciation rules. The other follows French pronunciation rules.

“Geaux” is pronounced “go” in American English. This is because the “-eaux” sound is pronounced “oh” by Americans when seen in other words. It’s common for them to use this form when expressing words of Frenc origin.

“Geaux” is pronounced “Joe” in French. When written like this, the “ge-” start turns into a “j” sound.

“Geaux jeaux” is used to remind people of pronunciation differences.

Here’s a video that’ll help you remember the pronunciations of both languages.

Origin of the Word “Geaux”

“Geaux” originated in America. While it looks like a French word, it is not a true word that comes from anything specific in French.

“Geaux” means “go,” and it was originally spelt as such. It is not a French word and did not come from any specific French words. The only thing French about “geaux” is the ending “-eaux.”

When the “-eaux” is used in English, it’s pronounced like “oh.” American supporters of the Louisiana Tigers use “geaux” like “go” because of the identical pronunciations between the two words.

Since the pronunciation is identical, it’s impossible to tell which variation is used in a sports stadium. The assumption is that the supporters will yell “go,” though it’s likely that they are saying “geaux” but pronouncing it the same way.

“Geaux, Tigers” (or any other team) is only recognizable in written English. You can see the clear spelling difference when it’s written down.

Is “Geaux” a Scrabble Word?

“Geaux” might be used by sporting fans from America, but that doesn’t mean it’s an official English word. One way to check the validity of a word like this is to see if it can be used while playing Scrabble.

According to the Official Scrabble Dictionary, “geaux” is not a word. You cannot score any points using this word in any game variation. That’s a shame because getting rid of those “X” tiles can be tricky!

Conclusion

“Geaux” means “go” and is pronounced the same way. It’s an Americanization of the French pronunciation of “-eaux.” The word is not official, nor does it originate in France.