Definify.com

Webster 1828 Edition

Folk

FOLK

,
Noun.
foke. [L. vulgus. The sense is a crowd, from collecting or pressing, not from following, but from the same root, as to follow is to press toward. Gr. Originally and properly it had no plural, being a collective noun; but in modern use, in America, it has lost its singular number, and we hear it only in the plural. It is a colloquial word, not admissible into elegant style.]
1.
People in general, or any part of them without distinction. What do folks say respecting the war? Men love to talk about the affairs of other folks.
2.
Certain people, discriminated from others; as old folks, and young folks. Children sometimes call their parents, the old folks. So we say sick folks; poor folks; proud folks.
3.
In scripture, the singular number is used; as a few sick folk; impotent folk. Mark 6. John 5.
4.
Animals.
The coneys are but a feeble folk. Prov. 30.

Definition 2024

folk

folk

See also: fólk

English

Alternative forms

Adjective

folk ‎(not comparable)

  1. Of or pertaining to the inhabitants of a land, their culture, tradition, or history.
  2. Of or pertaining to common people as opposed to ruling classes or elites.
  3. (architecture) Of or related to local building materials and styles.
  4. Believed or transmitted by the common people; not academically correct or rigorous.
    folk psychology; folk linguistics

Noun

folk ‎(plural folk or folks)

  1. (archaic) A grouping of smaller peoples or tribes as a nation.
    • J. R. Green
      The organization of each folk, as such, sprang mainly from war.
  2. 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!
  3. (plural only, plural: folks) One’s relatives, especially one’s parents.
  4. (music) Folk music.
  5. (plural only) People in general.
    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:
      “[…] 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. […]”
  6. (plural only) A particular group of people.

Translations

Derived terms

Related terms

References

  1. ↑ http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/folk

Danish

Etymology 1

From Old Norse fólk ‎(“people”), from Proto-Germanic *fulką.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fɔlk/, [fʌlˀɡ̊]

Noun

folk n (singular definite folket, plural indefinite folk)

  1. people
  2. men
  3. crew
Inflection
Synonyms

Etymology 2

From English folk ‎(“folk music”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fɔvɡ/, [fʌwɡ̊]

Noun

folk c (singular definite folken, not used in plural form)

  1. folk music (contemporary music in the style of traditional folk music)

See also

Finnish

Noun

folk

  1. (music) folk, folk music

Declension

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
instructive — folkein
abessive folkitta folkeitta
comitative — folkeineen

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse fólk ‎(“people”), folk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką.

Noun

folk n ‎(definite singular folket, indefinite plural folk, definite plural folka or folkene)

  1. a people
  2. people in general
  3. folk

Related terms

Derived terms

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse fólk or folk.

Noun

folk n ‎(definite singular folket, indefinite plural folk, definite plural folka)

  1. people
  2. folk

Derived terms

References

Old Dutch

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *fulką, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁-go.

Noun

folk n

  1. people, folk

Descendants

Old Frisian

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *fulką.

Noun

folk n

  1. people, folk

Declension

Descendants

  • North Frisian:
    Föhr-Amrum: folk
  • West Frisian: folk

Old Saxon

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *fulką.

Noun

folk n

  1. people, folk

Declension

Portuguese

Noun

folk m (uncountable)

  1. folk music (contemporary music in traditional style)

Synonyms

Scots

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old English folc, from Proto-Germanic *fulką.

Noun

folk ‎(plural folks)

  1. people, folk

Spanish

Etymology

English

Noun

folk m ‎(uncountable)

  1. folk (music)

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse fólk ‎(“people”), folk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką.

Pronunciation

Noun

folk n

  1. (uncountable) people in general, humans
  2. a people, a nation; in compounds referring to local or national traditions (folklore), national institutions (folkhem) or international relations (folkrätt)

Declension

Inflection of folk 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative folk folket folk folken
Genitive folks folkets folks folkens

Compounds

West Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian folk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fɔlk/

Noun

folk ‎(plural folken)

  1. people, folk

Etymology

From Middle English folk, from Old English folc, from Proto-Germanic *fulką (compare West Frisian folk, Dutch volk, German Volk and Swedish folk), from *fulka- ("crowd, army"), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁-go (compare Welsh ôl 'track', Lithuanian pulkas 'crowd', Old Church Slavonic plŭkŭ 'army division', Russian полк (polk) 'regiment'; Albanian plog 'barn, heap'; the Slavic and Lithuanian words may have been borrowed from Proto-Germanic instead). (Some have also attempted to link the word to Latin vulgus, populus or plebs.[1]) Related to follow.

Pronunciation

Similar Results