Where does “folk” come from?
Folk derives from Middle English folk, Old English folc, Proto-Germanic fulką, and Proto-Indo-European pleh₁-, meaning to fill or be full, referring to a multitude of people.
folk (English): Of or pertaining to the inhabitants of a land,...
Definitions
- Of or pertaining to the inhabitants of a land,...
Ancestry of “folk”, step by step
folk traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via German volk
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | volk | people, nation, folk, tribe, race group united by culture, history, descent, and/or language |
| 2 | Middle High German | volc | — |
| 3 | Old High German | folc | folk; people collectively, nation; people, nation |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | folk | people, tribe |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fulką | people; tribe |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pleh₁- | to fill |