folk

 

Have you ever driven a Volkswagen? In German, the word "folk" (volk) means people. It’s also used in English when referring to people. The "l" in "folk" is silent, and the word is often in the plural form.

  • Hi folks! (Hi everyone.)
  • How are you folks doing today?
  • I’m meeting my folks for dinner this evening. (Sometimes "folks" is used for parents.)
  • How are your folks doing? (How are your parents doing?)
  • The folks who live next door are very nice. (folks = people)
  • Everyone loves Bobby and Linda because they’re just plain folks.
  • Delores says that most of her kinfolk live on the east coast. (kinfolk = people of an extended family)

Folk is also a style of music, art, and literature that is created by ordinary people or represents people’s dreams and desires:

  • Do you like folk music?
  • Bob Dylan is a folk musician. He’s well known for the folk music that he wrote and performed in the 1960s.
folk music
  • Folk dancing is the traditional dance that people learn and practice as part of their culture.
folk dancing
  • Folk art is simple and colorful. Amateur artists create folk art.
folk art
  • Useful items such as handcarved mugs are also considered folk art.
folk art mug
  • Folk tales are stories that are well known among the people of a particular place or culture.
folk tales
  • A folk hero is a person who fights against cruel kings or governments. He or she is a defender of the people.
  • Robin Hood is a folk hero.
robin hood

That’s all folks!

(This is kind of an expression that means something has come to a conclusion.)

Click here to go to the Word of the Day page.

June 24, 2015