folk
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English folk, from Old English folc, from Proto-West Germanic *folk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką, from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁-gós, from *pleh₁- (“to fill”).
Cognate with German Volk, Dutch volk, Swedish folk and Danish folk. Doublet of volk.
Pronunciation edit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /fəʊk/
- (General American) IPA(key): /foʊk/, (nonstandard) /foʊlk/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -əʊk
Noun edit
folk (countable and uncountable, plural folks)
- (archaic) A grouping of smaller peoples or tribes as a nation.
- 1878-1880, John Richard Green, History of the English People:
- The organization of each folk, as such, sprang mainly from war.
- The inhabitants of a region, especially the native inhabitants.
- 1907, Race Prejudice, Jean Finot, page 251:
- We thus arrive at a most unexpected imbroglio. The French have become a Germanic folk and the Germanic folk have become Gaulish!
- 1907, Race Prejudice, Jean Finot, page 251:
- (plural only) People in general.
- A particular group of people.
- Young folk, old folk, everybody come / To our little Sunday School, and have a lot of fun.
- 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest[1]:
- “ […] the awfully hearty sort of Christmas cards that people do send to other people that they don't know at all well. You know. The kind that have mottoes […] . And then, when you see [the senders], you probably find that they are the most melancholy old folk with malignant diseases. […] ”
- (plural only, plural: folks) One’s relatives, especially one’s parents.
- (music) Short for folk music.
Derived terms edit
- alms-folk
- anti-folk
- avant-folk
- beaker folk
- blackfolk
- Britfolk
- Chinese folk religion
- cisfolk
- countryfolk
- cunning folk
- doom folk
- elle-folk
- fairy folk
- feathered folk
- fisherfolk
- folk art
- folk-blues
- folk culture
- folk dance
- folk dancer
- folk dancing
- folk devil
- folkdom
- folk etymologist
- folk-etymologize
- folk etymology
- folk hero, folk-hero
- folk horror
- folk house
- folk illness
- folklife
- folklike, folk-like
- folk linguistics
- folklore, folk-lore
- folk-medicine, folk medicine
- folk memory
- folk-metal, folk metal
- folkmoot
- folk music
- folk name
- folk-punk, folk punk
- folk religion
- folk religionist
- folk-rock, folk rock
- folk-rocker
- folk singer
- folk song
- folkster
- folk story
- folksy
- folk tale
- folk taxonomy
- folktronica
- folkway, folk-way, folk way
- freak folk
- gayfolk
- gentlefolk
- good folk
- grey folk
- indie folk
- kithfolk
- landfolk
- little folk
- lizard-folk
- psychedelic folk
- psych folk
- rat-folk
- regular folk
- smallfolk
- straightfolk
- there's nowt so queer as folk
- townsfolk
- transfolk
- turbo-folk
- wee folk
- wee folks
- whitefolk
- wyrd folk
Related terms edit
Translations edit
|
Adjective edit
folk (not comparable)
- Of or pertaining to the inhabitants of a land, their culture, tradition, or history.
- Of or pertaining to common people as opposed to ruling classes or elites.
- (architecture) Of or related to local building materials and styles.
- Believed or transmitted by the common people; not academically correct or rigorous.
- folk psychology; folk linguistics
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
Further reading edit
- "folk" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 136.
Danish edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Old Norse fólk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
folk n (singular definite folket, plural indefinite folk)
- people, persons
- Der var mange folk på torvet.
- There were many people on the plaza.
- Der var mange folk på torvet.
- one, people
- Folk ved ikke hvor meget deres hamstre er værd.
- People don't know how much their hamsters are worth.
- Folk ved ikke hvor meget deres hamstre er værd.
- (countable) a people, a nation (not necessarily politically or geographically united)
- crew
Declension edit
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Further reading edit
Etymology 2 edit
From English folk (“folk music”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
folk c (singular definite folken, not used in plural form)
- folk music (contemporary music in the style of traditional folk music)
See also edit
- folk on the Danish Wikipedia.Wikipedia da
Finnish edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
folk
- (music) folk, folk music
Declension edit
Inflection of folk (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
nominative | folk | folkit | ||
genitive | folkin | folkien | ||
partitive | folkia | folkeja | ||
illative | folkiin | folkeihin | ||
singular | plural | |||
nominative | folk | folkit | ||
accusative | nom. | folk | folkit | |
gen. | folkin | |||
genitive | folkin | folkien | ||
partitive | folkia | folkeja | ||
inessive | folkissa | folkeissa | ||
elative | folkista | folkeista | ||
illative | folkiin | folkeihin | ||
adessive | folkilla | folkeilla | ||
ablative | folkilta | folkeilta | ||
allative | folkille | folkeille | ||
essive | folkina | folkeina | ||
translative | folkiksi | folkeiksi | ||
abessive | folkitta | folkeitta | ||
instructive | — | folkein | ||
comitative | See the possessive forms below. |
Derived terms edit
Further reading edit
- “folk”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish][2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02
French edit
Pronunciation edit
Audio (file)
Noun edit
folk m or f (plural folks)
- folk (folk music)
Middle English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Old English folk, from Proto-West Germanic *folk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
folk (plural folk or folkes)
- people, folk (multiple individuals)
- 1387–1400, [Geoffrey] Chaucer, “Here Bygynneth the Book of the Tales of Caunt́burẏ”, in The Tales of Caunt́bury (Hengwrt Chaucer; Peniarth Manuscript 392D), Aberystwyth, Ceredigion: National Library of Wales, published c. 1400–1410], →OCLC, folio 2, recto, lines 23-26:
- At nyght was come / in to that hoſtelrye / Wel ·xxix· in a compaignye / Of sondry folk / by auenture yfalle / In felaweſhipe / and pilgrymes weere they alle
- There came at nightfall to that hostelry / Some nine and twenty in a company / Of sundry folk who had chanced to fall / In fellowship, and pilgrims were they all
- nation, race, stock
- c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)[3], published c. 1410, Apocalips 11:18, page 121r, column 2; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:
- ⁊ folkis ben wrooþ · ⁊ þi wraþþe cam · ⁊ tyme of deed men to be demed · ⁊ to ȝelde meede to þi ſeruauntis ⁊ pꝛophetis ⁊ halowis ⁊ dꝛedynge þi name · to ſmale ⁊ to grete / ⁊ to diſtrie hem þat coꝛrumpiden þe erþe
- And the nations were furious; then your fury came. It is time for the dead to be judged, to give rewards to your servants, prophets, saints, and those who fear your name, both small and large, and to destroy those who destroyed the Earth.
- group, band, troop (of people):
- family, kin, relatives
- humankind, humanity; all people
- (rare) creatures, beings
Usage notes edit
Can be treated as a singular or a plural noun.
Related terms edit
Descendants edit
References edit
- “folk, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
Norwegian Bokmål edit
Etymology edit
From Old Norse fólk, folk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką.
Noun edit
folk n (definite singular folket, indefinite plural folk, definite plural folka or folkene)
Derived terms edit
- bygdefolk
- fagfolk
- folkeavstemning
- folkedans
- folkeetymologi
- folkeferd
- folkefest
- folkefiende
- Folkeforbundet
- folkegruppe
- folkehelt
- folkelig
- folkemedisin
- folkemengde
- folkemening
- folkemord
- folkemusikk
- folkeopinion
- folkerepublikk
- folkerik
- folkeslag
- folkestamme
- folketall
- folketelling
- folketetthet
- folketro
- folkevalgt
- forretningsfolk
- handelsfolk
- kvinnfolk
- mannfolk
- nomadefolk
- pengefolk
- sjøfolk
- urfolk
Related terms edit
References edit
- “folk” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk edit
Etymology edit
From Old Norse folk, fólk. Akin to English folk.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
folk n (definite singular folket, indefinite plural folk, definite plural folka)
- people
- Folk er rare.
- People are strange.
- Nordmennene er eit rart folk.
- The Norwegians are a strange people.
Derived terms edit
- bygdefolk
- fagfolk
- folkedans
- folkeetymologi
- folkefest
- folkefiende
- Folkeforbundet
- folkegruppe
- folkehelt
- folkekunst
- folkemedisin
- folkemeining
- folkemengd, folkemengde
- folkemord
- folkemusikk
- folkens
- folkeopinion
- folkerepublikk
- folkerik
- folkerøysting
- folkesetnad
- folkeslag
- folkestamme
- folketal
- folketettleik
- folketru
- forretningsfolk
- handelsfolk
- kvinnfolk
- mannfolk
- nomadefolk
- pengefolk
- sjøfolk
- urfolk
Related terms edit
Male given names:
Female given names:
References edit
- “folk” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Old Frisian edit
Alternative forms edit
- fulk,
Etymology edit
From Proto-West Germanic *folk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką.
Noun edit
folk n
Inflection edit
Declension of folk (neuter a-stem) | ||
---|---|---|
singular | plural | |
nominative | folk | folk |
genitive | folkes | folka |
dative | folke | folkum, folkem |
accusative | folk | folk |
Descendants edit
Old High German edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Proto-West Germanic *folk
Noun edit
folk n
Declension edit
case | singular | plural |
---|---|---|
nominative | folk | folk |
accusative | folk | folk |
genitive | folkes | folko |
dative | folke | folkum |
instrumental | folku | — |
Descendants edit
Old Norse edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Proto-Germanic *fulką.
Noun edit
folk n
Usage notes edit
- The meaning of ‘troop, army’ is decidedly older and is the only one present in the earliest poetry. There, þjóð and lýðir are used for the meaning ‘people’.
Declension edit
Descendants edit
Old Saxon edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Proto-West Germanic *folk.
Noun edit
folk n
Declension edit
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | folk | folk |
accusative | folk | folk |
genitive | folkes | folkō |
dative | folke | folkun |
instrumental | — | — |
Descendants edit
Polish edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from English folk (music), from Middle English folk, from Old English folc, from Proto-West Germanic *folk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką, from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁-gós, from *pleh₁-.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
folk m inan
- folk music (contemporary music in traditional style)
Declension edit
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Further reading edit
Portuguese edit
Etymology edit
Unadapted borrowing from English folk.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
folk m (uncountable)
- (music) folk music (contemporary music in traditional style)
- Synonym: música folk
Romanian edit
Etymology edit
Noun edit
folk n (uncountable)
Declension edit
Scots edit
Noun edit
folk (plural folks)
- Alternative spelling of fowk
Spanish edit
Etymology edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
folk m (uncountable)
- folk (music)
Further reading edit
- “folk”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
Swedish edit
Etymology edit
From Old Swedish fōlk, from Runic Swedish fulk, from Old Norse fólk, folk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką.
Pronunciation edit
audio (file)
Noun edit
folk n
- (chiefly uncountable) people
- Det var mycket folk på Stigs fest
- There were a lot of people at Stig's party
- Det står en massa folk där borta
- There is a bunch of people standing over there
- komma bort i folkhavet
- get lost in the sea of people
- vanligt folk
- common people
- fint folk
- people of high social standing, gentlefolk
- båtfolk
- boat people (people into boating)
- folk och fä
- people and animals (idiomatic)
- Han är väl som folk är mest
- I guess he's like most people ("like people are mostly" – slightly unusual phrasing, but idiomatic in "som group är mest")
- (countable) a people (larger social unit, often the people of a nation)
- Folket har talat. Nisses kebabsås vann omröstningen.
- The people have spoken. Nisse's kebab sauce won the vote.
- det amerikanska folket
- the American people
- de nordiska folken
- the Nordic peoples
- orsaka en folkstorm
- cause a public outcry
- (chiefly uncountable) people (most people or the common people, sometimes also in terms of culture, traditions, etc.)
- folk och herrar
- people and lords
- folkets fiender
- the enemies of the people
- Folket reste sig mot adeln och kungamakten
- The people rose up against the nobility and royalty
- folkmusik
- folk music
- folkdräkt
- folk costume
- (in some expressions) ordinary, reasonable people
- Du verkar stressad, Nisse. Ta dig en sup så att du blir som folk.
- You seem stressed out, Nisse. Have a drink to straighten yourself out ("so that you become like people").
- Uppför dig som folk!
- Act like a civilized person ("like people")!
- Hon borde växa upp och bli som folk
- She should grow up and become a responsible adult ("become like people")
Usage notes edit
- Not inherently rustic like English folk, but sometimes with similar connotations, as seen above.
- Usually interchangeable with människor in the generic sense of people.
- Refers to international law in folkrätt.
Declension edit
Declension of folk | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | folk | folket | folk | folken |
Genitive | folks | folkets | folks | folkens |
Derived terms edit
See also edit
References edit
- folk in Svensk ordbok (SO)
- folk in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
- folk in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
- folk in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)
West Frisian edit
Etymology edit
From Old Frisian folk, from Proto-West Germanic *folk.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
folk n (plural folken, diminutive folkje)
Further reading edit
- “folk”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011
Interjection edit
folk
- call at the door if anyone's home