# folk
## English
### Alternative forms

* vok, volk, volge, volke (dialectal)

### Etymology

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

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /fəʊk/
* (General American) IPA: /foʊk/, (nonstandard) /foʊlk/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -əʊk

### Noun

folk (countable and uncountable, plural folks)
* (countable, archaic) A people; a tribe or nation; the inhabitants of a region, especially the native inhabitants.
** 1878-1880, John Richard Green, History of the English People:The organization of each folk, as such, sprang mainly from war.
** 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!
* (collective plural) People, persons.
    There were a lot of folk in the streets.
    Young folk, old folk, everybody come / To our little Sunday School, and have a lot of fun.
** 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:“ […] 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. […] ”
* (collective plural, usually as folks) One’s relatives, especially one’s parents.
    I need to call my folks back home.
* (music) Short for folk music.

#### Usage notes

* In principle, folk behaves grammatically like the synonym people. As a countable noun (meaning “nation”) it may take the plural folks. As a collective plural (meaning “persons”) it remains unchanged. Informally, however, the form folks is also used in the collective sense (which is not possible for peoples). This latter usage is particularly common in the sense “relatives”.

#### Derived terms

* adfolk
* alms-folk
* almsfolk
* anti-folk
* avant-folk
* beaker folk
* blackfolk
* Britfolk
* businessfolk
* chairfolk
* Chinese folk religion
* cisfolk
* clansfolk
* commonfolk
* congressfolk
* countryfolk
* cunning folk
* doom folk
* electrofolk
* elfenfolk
* elfinfolk
* elle-folk
* elvenfolk
* fairy folk
* feathered folk
* fieldfolk
* finfolk
* fisherfolk
* folkadelic
* folk art
* folk-blues
* folkcraft
* folk culture
* folk dance
* folk dancer
* folk dancing
* folk devil
* folkdom
* folker
* folk-etymologically
* folk etymologist
* folk-etymologize
* folk etymology
* folkfree
* folkgame
* folk hero, folk-hero
* folk horror
* folk house
* folkie
* folk illness
* folkish
* folkland
* folklife
* folklike, folk-like
* folk linguistics
* folklore, folk-lore
* folkly
* folk-medicine, folk medicine
* folk memory
* folk-metal, folk metal
* folkmoot
* folk music
* folk name
* folknik
* folk-punk, folk punk
* folkred
* folk religion
* folk religionist
* folkright
* folk-rocker
* folk-rock, folk rock
* folk singer
* folksinger
* folksinging
* folk song
* folksonomy
* folkster
* folk story
* folkstyle
* folksy
* folktale
* folk tale
* folk taxonomy
* folktronica
* folkway, folk-way, folk way
* folkweave
* folky
* freak folk
* gayfolk
* gentlefolk
* good folk
* grandfolk
* grey folk
* hackfolk
* henchfolk
* hillfolk
* housefolk
* indie folk
* kinfolk
* kinsfolk
* kithfolk
* ladyfolk
* landfolk
* layfolk
* little folk
* lizard-folk
* lizardfolk
* menfolk
* merfolk
* neofolk
* nonfolk
* pseudofolk
* psychedelic folk
* psych folk
* ratfolk
* rat-folk
* regular folk
* seafolk
* shopfolk
* showfolk
* skinfolk
* smallfolk
* snowfolk
* straightfolk
* streetfolk
* there's nowt so queer as folk
* townfolk
* townsfolk
* tradesfolk
* transfolk
* turbo-folk
* wee folk
* wee folks
* whitefolk
* womenfolk
* workfolk
* wyrd folk
* yachtsfolk
* youngfolk

#### Related terms

* Folketing
* landfolk
* Norfolk
* Suffolk
* volk

#### Translations
### Adjective

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

* folk etymology
* folk medicine

#### Translations
### Further reading

* "folk" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 136.

## Danish
### Etymology 1

From Old Norse fólk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /fɔlk/, [fʌlˀɡ̊]

#### Noun

folk n (singular definite folket, plural indefinite folk)
* people, persons
    Der var mange folk på torvet.
       There were many people on the plaza.
* one, people
    Folk ved ikke hvor meget deres hamstre er værd.
       People don't know how much their hamsters are worth.
* (countable) a people, a nation (not necessarily politically or geographically united)
* crew

##### Synonyms

* (nation): folkeslag, nation

##### Derived terms

* hoffolk

##### Further reading

* “folk” in Den Danske Ordbog
* “folk” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

### Etymology 2

From English folk (“folk music”).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈfɔwɡ̊]

#### Noun

folk c (singular definite folken, not used in plural form)
* folk music (contemporary music in the style of traditional folk music)

### See also

* folk on the Danish Wikipedia.Wikipedia $^{da}$

## Finnish
### Alternative forms

* folkki

### Etymology

From English folk.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈfolk/, [ˈfo̞lk]
* Rhymes: -olk
* Hyphenation: folk

### Noun

folk
* (music) folk, folk music

#### Declension

Possessive forms of folk (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
folkini
folkini
accusative
nom.
folkini
folkini
gen.
folkini
genitive
folkini
folkieni
partitive
folkiani
folkejani
inessive
folkissani
folkeissani
elative
folkistani
folkeistani
illative
folkiini
folkeihini
adessive
folkillani
folkeillani
ablative
folkiltani
folkeiltani
allative
folkilleni
folkeilleni
essive
folkinani
folkeinani
translative
folkikseni
folkeikseni
abessive
folkittani
folkeittani
instructive
comitative
—folkeineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
folkisi
folkisi
accusative
nom.
folkisi
folkisi
gen.
folkisi
genitive
folkisi
folkiesi
partitive
folkiasi
folkejasi
inessive
folkissasi
folkeissasi
elative
folkistasi
folkeistasi
illative
folkiisi
folkeihisi
adessive
folkillasi
folkeillasi
ablative
folkiltasi
folkeiltasi
allative
folkillesi
folkeillesi
essive
folkinasi
folkeinasi
translative
folkiksesi
folkeiksesi
abessive
folkittasi
folkeittasi
instructive
comitative
—folkeinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
folkimme
folkimme
accusative
nom.
folkimme
folkimme
gen.
folkimme
genitive
folkimme
folkiemme
partitive
folkiamme
folkejamme
inessive
folkissamme
folkeissamme
elative
folkistamme
folkeistamme
illative
folkiimme
folkeihimme
adessive
folkillamme
folkeillamme
ablative
folkiltamme
folkeiltamme
allative
folkillemme
folkeillemme
essive
folkinamme
folkeinamme
translative
folkiksemme
folkeiksemme
abessive
folkittamme
folkeittamme
instructive
comitative
—folkeinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
folkinne
folkinne
accusative
nom.
folkinne
folkinne
gen.
folkinne
genitive
folkinne
folkienne
partitive
folkianne
folkejanne
inessive
folkissanne
folkeissanne
elative
folkistanne
folkeistanne
illative
folkiinne
folkeihinne
adessive
folkillanne
folkeillanne
ablative
folkiltanne
folkeiltanne
allative
folkillenne
folkeillenne
essive
folkinanne
folkeinanne
translative
folkiksenne
folkeiksenne
abessive
folkittanne
folkeittanne
instructive
comitative
—folkeinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
folkinsa
folkinsa
accusative
nom.
folkinsa
folkinsa
gen.
folkinsa
genitive
folkinsa
folkiensa
partitive
folkiaan folkiansa
folkejaan folkejansa
inessive
folkissaan folkissansa
folkeissaan folkeissansa
elative
folkistaan folkistansa
folkeistaan folkeistansa
illative
folkiinsa
folkeihinsa
adessive
folkillaan folkillansa
folkeillaan folkeillansa
ablative
folkiltaan folkiltansa
folkeiltaan folkeiltansa
allative
folkilleen folkillensa
folkeilleen folkeillensa
essive
folkinaan folkinansa
folkeinaan folkeinansa
translative
folkikseen folkiksensa
folkeikseen folkeiksensa
abessive
folkittaan folkittansa
folkeittaan folkeittansa
instructive
comitative
—folkeineen folkeinensa :

#### Derived terms

* folklaulaja
* folkmusiikki

### Further reading

* “folk”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (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
### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Noun

folk m or f (plural folks)
* folk (folk music)

## Middle English
### Alternative forms

* folke, foolk, fok, folck, folc, follc, volk

### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /fɔlk/

### Noun

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 alleThere 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.)‎, 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 erþeAnd 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):
** subjects, followers, comitatus
** army, retinue (group of armed people)
** gathering, parliament
* family, kin, relatives
* humankind, humanity; all people
* (rare) creatures, beings

#### Usage notes

Can be treated as a singular or a plural noun.

#### Related terms

* lond folk
* Northfolk
* Suffolk

#### Descendants

* English: folk
* Scots: fowk

#### References

* “folk, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Etymology

From Old Norse fólk, folk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką.

### Noun

folk n (definite singular folket, indefinite plural folk, definite plural folka or folkene)
* a people
* people in general
* folk

#### Derived terms

* 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

* avfolke
* befolke

### References

* “folk” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Etymology

From Old Norse folk, fólk. Akin to English folk.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /fɔlk/, /fɔɽk/

### Noun

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

* 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

Male given names:
* Folkad
* Folkar
* Folkbjørn
* Folke
* Folkgeir
* Folkleiv
* Folkmar
* Folkstein
* Folkung
* Folkvard, Folkevord
* Folkve
* Folkvid
* Folkvin
Female given names:
* Folka

### References

* “folk” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

## Old Frisian
### Alternative forms

* fulk,

### Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *folk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką.

### Noun

folk n
* people, folk

#### Descendants

* North Frisian:
** Föhr-Amrum: folk
* Saterland Frisian: Foulk
* West Frisian: folk

## Old High German
### Alternative forms

* folc

### Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *folk

### Noun

folk n
* people, folk
* troop; group of warriors

#### Descendants

* Middle High German: volk
** Cimbrian: vòlk, bòlk (Mezzaselva)
** German: Volk
** Hunsrik: Follek
** Luxembourgish: Vollek
** Vilamovian: fulk
** Yiddish: פֿאָלק (folk)

## Old Norse
### Alternative forms

* fólk

### Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *fulką.

### Noun

folk n
* troop, army
* people

#### Usage notes

* 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’.

#### Descendants

* Icelandic: fólk
* Faroese: fólk
* Norn: folekar
* Norwegian Nynorsk: folk; (dialectal) fólk, fókk, følk, fælk
* Jamtish: fołk
* Elfdalian: fuok
* Old Swedish: folk, fulk
** Swedish: folk
* Old Danish: folk
** Danish: folk
*** Norwegian Bokmål: folk
** Scanian: fólk
* Old Gutnish: fulk
** Gutnish: fålk

## Old Saxon
### Alternative forms

* folc

### Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *folk.

### Noun

folk n
* people, folk

#### Descendants

* Middle Low German: volk
** Low German: Volk
*** German Low German: Volk
    Hamburgisch: Volk
    Westphalian:
       Lippisch: Volk
       Ravensbergisch: Folk
       Sauerländisch: Volk
       Westmünsterländisch: Volk
** Plautdietsch: Volkj

## Polish
### Etymology

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

* IPA: /ˈfɔlk/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɔlk
* Syllabification: folk

### Noun

folk m inan
* folk music (contemporary music in traditional style)

#### Derived terms

* foklowy

#### Related terms

* foklowo

### Further reading

* folk in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* folk in Polish dictionaries at PWN

## Portuguese
### Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English folk.

### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈfow.ki/ [ˈfoʊ̯.ki]
* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈfow.ki/ [ˈfoʊ̯.ki]
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /ˈfow.ke/ [ˈfoʊ̯.ke]
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˈfol.kɨ/ [ˈfoɫ.kɨ]

### Noun

folk m (uncountable)
* (music) folk music (contemporary music in traditional style)
    Synonym: música folk

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from English folk.

### Noun

folk n (uncountable)
* folk music

#### Declension
## Scots
### Noun

folk (plural folks)
* Alternative spelling of fowk

## Spanish
### Etymology

Borrowed from English folk.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈfolk/ [ˈfolk]
* Rhymes: -olk
* Syllabification: folk

### Noun

folk m (uncountable)
* folk (music)

### Further reading

* “folk”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

## Swedish
### Etymology

From Old Swedish fōlk, from Runic Swedish fulk, from Old Norse fólk, folk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /fɔlːk/
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

folk n
* (chiefly uncountable) people
    Det var mycket folk på Stigs festThere were a lot of people at Stig's party
    Det står en massa folk där bortaThere is a bunch of people standing over there
    komma bort i folkhavetget lost in the sea of people
    vanligt folkcommon people
    fint folkpeople of high social standing, gentlefolk
    båtfolkboat people (people into boating)
    folk och fäpeople and animals (idiomatic)
    Han är väl som folk är mestI 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 folketthe American people
    de nordiska folkenthe Nordic peoples
    orsaka en folkstormcause a public outcry
** (chiefly uncountable) people (most people or the common people, sometimes also in terms of culture, traditions, etc.)
    folk och herrarpeople and lords
    folkets fienderthe enemies of the people
    Folket reste sig mot adeln och kungamaktenThe people rose up against the nobility and royalty
    folkmusikfolk music
    folkdräktfolk 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 folkShe should grow up and become a responsible adult ("become like people")

#### Usage notes

* 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.

#### Derived terms

* erörvrarfolk
* folk och fä
* folka
* folkabuss
* folkdräkt
* folkförbund
* folkhem
* folkhushållning
* folkkonjak
* folklig
* folkliv
* folklivsforskare
* folklore
* folklynne
* folkminne
* folkmusik
* folkpartist
* folkrätt
* folksaga
* folkstorm
* folksång
* folkvagn
* folkvisa
* folköl
* fotfolk
* kulturfolk
* minoritetsfolk
* naturfolk
* småfolk
* stamfolk
* urfolk
* värdfolk
* ökenfolk

#### See also

* människa
* person
* snubbe

### References

* 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
### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /folk/, /foːwk/

### Noun

folk n (plural folken, diminutive folkje)
* people, folk

#### Further reading

* “folk”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

### Interjection

folk
* call at the door if anyone's home