Where does “folklore” come from?
Folklore derives from English folk and lore, where folk comes from Proto-Germanic fulką, which traces to Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- meaning to fill or be full.
folklore (English): The tales, legends and superstitions of a...
Definitions
- The tales, legends and superstitions of a...
Ancestry of “folklore”, step by step
folklore traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English lore
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | lore | All the facts and traditions about a particular... |
| 2 | Middle English | lore | education, tutoring, mentoring; learning; the... |
| 3 | Old English | lār | teaching; doctrine; lore, learning, science, art... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | laiʀu | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | laizō | teaching; lore; doctrine |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | laizijaną | to teach |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | loyséyeti | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | leys | to trace; to track |
via English folk
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | folk | Of or pertaining to the inhabitants of a land,... |
| 2 | German | volk | people, nation, folk, tribe, race group united by culture, history, descent, and/or language |
| 3 | Middle High German | volc | — |
| 4 | Old High German | folc | folk; people collectively, nation; people, nation |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | folk | people, tribe |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | fulką | people; tribe |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pleh₁- | to fill |