Wiktionary

folk

See also: Folk, and fólk

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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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

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Noun

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folk (countable and uncountable, plural folks)

  1. (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!
  2. (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. […] ”
  3. (collective plural, usually as folks) One’s relatives, especially one’s parents.
    I need to call my folks back home.
  4. (music) Short for folk music.

Usage notes

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  • 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

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Translations

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Adjective

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folk (not comparable)

  1. Of or pertaining to the inhabitants of a land, their culture, tradition, or history.
  2. Of or pertaining to common people as opposed to ruling classes or elites.
  3. (architecture) Of or related to local building materials and styles.
  4. Believed or transmitted by the common people; not academically correct or rigorous.
    folk psychology; folk linguistics

Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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

Danish

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Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /fɔlk/, [fʌlˀɡ̊]

Noun

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folk n (singular definite folket, plural indefinite folk)

  1. people, persons
    Der var mange folk på torvet.
    There were many people on the plaza.
  2. one, people
    Folk ved ikke hvor meget deres hamstre er værd.
    People don't know how much their hamsters are worth.
  3. (countable) a people, a nation (not necessarily politically or geographically united)
  4. crew
Declension
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Declension of folk
neuter
gender 		Singular Plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative folk folket folk folkene
genitive folks folkets folks folkenes
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Further reading
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Etymology 2

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From English folk (“folk music”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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folk c (singular definite folken, not used in plural form)

  1. folk music (contemporary music in the style of traditional folk music)

See also

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Finnish

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From English folk.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈfolk/, [ˈfo̞lk]
  • Rhymes: -olk
  • Syllabification(key): folk

Noun

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folk

  1. (music) folk, folk music

Declension

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Inflection of folk (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative folk folkit
genitive folkin folkien
partitive folkia folkeja
illative folkiin folkeihin
singular plural
nominative folk folkit
accusative nom. folk folkit
gen. folkin
genitive folkin folkien
partitive folkia folkeja
inessive folkissa folkeissa
elative folkista folkeista
illative folkiin folkeihin
adessive folkilla folkeilla
ablative folkilta folkeilta
allative folkille folkeille
essive folkina folkeina
translative folkiksi folkeiksi
abessive folkitta folkeitta
instructive — folkein
comitative See the possessive forms below.
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

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compounds

Further reading

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French

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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folk m or f (plural folks)

  1. folk (folk music)

Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Noun

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folk (plural folk or folkes)

  1. people, folk (multiple individuals)
  2. nation, race, stock
    • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎[2], 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 erþe
      And 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.
  3. group, band, troop (of people):
    1. subjects, followers, comitatus
    2. army, retinue (group of armed people)
    3. gathering, parliament
  4. family, kin, relatives
  5. humankind, humanity; all people
  6. (rare) creatures, beings

Usage notes

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Can be treated as a singular or a plural noun.

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Descendants

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  • English: folk
  • Scots: fowk

References

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Norwegian Bokmål

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Etymology

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

Noun

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folk n (definite singular folket, indefinite plural folk, definite plural folka or folkene)

  1. a people
  2. people in general
  3. folk

Derived terms

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References

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Norwegian Nynorsk

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Noun

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folk n (definite singular folket, indefinite plural folk, definite plural folka)

  1. people
    Folk er rare.
    People are strange.
    Nordmennene er eit rart folk.
    The Norwegians are a strange people.

Derived terms

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Male given names:

Female given names:

References

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Old Frisian

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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

Noun

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folk n

  1. people, folk

Inflection

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Declension of folk (neuter a-stem)
singular plural
nominative folk folk
genitive folkes folka
dative folke folkum, folkem
accusative folk folk

Descendants

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  • North Frisian:
  • Saterland Frisian: Foulk
  • West Frisian: folk

Old High German

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Proto-West Germanic *folk

Noun

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folk n

  1. people, folk
  2. troop; group of warriors

Declension

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Declension of folk (neuter a-stem)
case singular plural
nominative folk folk
accusative folk folk
genitive folkes folko
dative folke folkum
instrumental folku —

Descendants

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Old Norse

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Proto-Germanic *fulką.

Noun

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folk n

  1. troop, army
  2. people

Usage notes

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  • 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’.

Declension

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  Declension of folk (strong a-stem)
neuter singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative folk folkit folk folkin
accusative folk folkit folk folkin
dative folki folkinu folkum folkunum
genitive folks folksins folka folkanna

Descendants

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Old Saxon

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Proto-West Germanic *folk.

Noun

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folk n

  1. people, folk

Declension

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Declension of folk (neuter a-stem)
singular plural
nominative folk folk
accusative folk folk
genitive folkes folkō
dative folke folkun
instrumental — —


Descendants

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

Polish

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Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pl

Etymology

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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

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Noun

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folk m inan

  1. folk music (contemporary music in traditional style)

Declension

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Declension of folk
singular
nominative folk
genitive folku
dative folkowi
accusative folk
instrumental folkiem
locative folku
vocative folku

Derived terms

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adjective
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adverb

Further reading

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

Portuguese

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Etymology

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Unadapted borrowing from English folk.

Pronunciation

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  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈfow.ki/ [ˈfoʊ̯.ki]
    • (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈfow.ke/ [ˈfoʊ̯.ke]

Noun

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folk m (uncountable)

  1. (music) folk music (contemporary music in traditional style)
    Synonym: música folk

Romanian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English folk.

Noun

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folk n (uncountable)

  1. folk music

Declension

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declension of folk (singular only)
singular
n gender indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative (un) folk folkul
genitive/dative (unui) folk folkului
vocative folkule

Scots

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Noun

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folk (plural folks)

  1. Alternative spelling of fowk

Spanish

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English folk.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈfolk/ [ˈfolk]
  • Rhymes: -olk
  • Syllabification: folk

Noun

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folk m (uncountable)

  1. folk (music)

Further reading

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Swedish

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Noun

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folk n

  2. (chiefly uncountable) people
    Det var mycket folk på Stigs fest
    There were a lot of people at Stig's party
    Det står en massa folk där borta
    There is a bunch of people standing over there
    komma bort i folkhavet
    get lost in the sea of people
    vanligt folk
    common people
    fint folk
    people of high social standing, gentlefolk
    båtfolk
    boat people (people into boating)
    folk och fä
    people and animals (idiomatic)
    Han är väl som folk är mest
    I guess he's like most people ("like people are mostly" – slightly unusual phrasing, but idiomatic in "som group är mest")
    1. (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 folket
      the American people
      de nordiska folken
      the Nordic peoples
      orsaka en folkstorm
      cause a public outcry
    2. (chiefly uncountable) people (most people or the common people, sometimes also in terms of culture, traditions, etc.)
      folk och herrar
      people and lords
      folkets fiender
      the enemies of the people
      Folket reste sig mot adeln och kungamakten
      The people rose up against the nobility and royalty
      folkmusik
      folk music
      folkdräkt
      folk costume
      1. (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 folk
        She should grow up and become a responsible adult ("become like people")

Usage notes

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  • 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.

Declension

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Declension of folk
nominative genitive
singular indefinite folk folks
definite folket folkets
plural indefinite folk folks
definite folken folkens

Derived terms

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See also

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References

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West Frisian

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Noun

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folk n (plural folken, diminutive folkje)

  1. people, folk

Further reading

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

Interjection

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folk

  1. call at the door if anyone's home
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