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
| 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 |
Words derived from “folklore”