See folk in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"descendants": [
{
"depth": 1,
"templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "folk"
},
"expansion": "English: folk",
"name": "desc"
}
],
"text": "English: folk"
},
{
"depth": 1,
"templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "sco",
"2": "fowk"
},
"expansion": "Scots: fowk",
"name": "desc"
}
],
"text": "Scots: fowk"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "ang",
"3": "folc"
},
"expansion": "Old English folc",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "gmw-pro",
"3": "*folk"
},
"expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *folk",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "gem-pro",
"3": "*fulką"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Germanic *fulką",
"name": "inh"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Old English folc, from Proto-West Germanic *folk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "folk",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "folkes",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "folke",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "foolk",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "fok",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "folck",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "folc",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "follc",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "volk",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "nouns",
"g": "",
"g2": "",
"g3": "",
"head": "",
"sort": ""
},
"expansion": "folk",
"name": "head"
},
{
"args": {
"pl": "folk",
"pl2": "folkes"
},
"expansion": "folk (plural folk or folkes)",
"name": "enm-noun"
}
],
"lang": "Middle English",
"lang_code": "enm",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "lond folk"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "Northfolk"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "Suffolk"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "30 0 11 12 11 12 24 0",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "People",
"orig": "enm:People",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_english_offsets": [
[
89,
93
]
],
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
82,
86
]
],
"english": "There came at nightfall to that hostelry / Some nine and twenty in a company / Of sundry folk who had chanced to fall / In fellowship, and pilgrims were they all",
"ref": "1387–1400, [Geoffrey] Chaucer, “Here Bygynneth the Book of the Tales of Caunt́burẏ”, in The Tales of Caunt́bury (Hengwrt Chaucer; Peniarth Manuscript 392D), Aberystwyth, Ceredigion: National Library of Wales, published [c. 1400–1410], →OCLC, folio 2, recto, lines 23-26:",
"text": "At nyght was come / in to that hoſtelrye / Wel ·xxix· in a compaignye / Of sondry folk / by auenture yfalle / In felaweſhipe / and pilgrymes weere they alle",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"people, folk (multiple individuals)"
],
"id": "en-folk-enm-noun-6t0peTEC",
"links": [
[
"people",
"people"
],
[
"folk",
"folk#English"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"bold_english_offsets": [
[
8,
15
]
],
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
2,
8
]
],
"english": "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.",
"ref": "c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.), published c. 1410, Apocalips 11:18, page 121r, column 2; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:",
"text": "⁊ 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",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"nation, race, stock"
],
"id": "en-folk-enm-noun-b1x22i8Q",
"links": [
[
"nation",
"nation"
],
[
"race",
"race"
],
[
"stock",
"stock"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "10 1 18 6 9 18 19 19",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "30 0 11 12 11 12 24 0",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "People",
"orig": "enm:People",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"group, band, troop (of people):",
"subjects, followers, comitatus"
],
"id": "en-folk-enm-noun-S-VkHZMR",
"links": [
[
"group",
"group"
],
[
"band",
"band"
],
[
"troop",
"troop"
],
[
"subjects",
"subjects"
],
[
"followers",
"followers"
],
[
"comitatus",
"comitatus"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "0 0 23 55 23 0 0 0",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "Military",
"orig": "enm:Military",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "30 0 11 12 11 12 24 0",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "People",
"orig": "enm:People",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"group, band, troop (of people):",
"army, retinue (group of armed people)"
],
"id": "en-folk-enm-noun-lvnaxRrC",
"links": [
[
"group",
"group"
],
[
"band",
"band"
],
[
"troop",
"troop"
],
[
"army",
"army"
],
[
"retinue",
"retinue"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "30 0 11 12 11 12 24 0",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "People",
"orig": "enm:People",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"group, band, troop (of people):",
"gathering, parliament"
],
"id": "en-folk-enm-noun-TX9Rdz1n",
"links": [
[
"group",
"group"
],
[
"band",
"band"
],
[
"troop",
"troop"
],
[
"gathering",
"gathering"
],
[
"parliament",
"parliament"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "10 1 18 6 9 18 19 19",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "30 0 11 12 11 12 24 0",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "People",
"orig": "enm:People",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"family, kin, relatives"
],
"id": "en-folk-enm-noun-N-J-khkc",
"links": [
[
"family",
"family"
],
[
"kin",
"kin"
],
[
"relatives",
"relatives"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "10 1 18 6 9 18 19 19",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "14 2 13 5 4 20 28 15",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "Collectives",
"orig": "enm:Collectives",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "30 0 11 12 11 12 24 0",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "People",
"orig": "enm:People",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"humankind, humanity; all people"
],
"id": "en-folk-enm-noun-zV8kCqPY",
"links": [
[
"humankind",
"humankind"
],
[
"humanity",
"humanity"
],
[
"people",
"people"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "10 1 18 6 9 18 19 19",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"creatures, beings"
],
"id": "en-folk-enm-noun-ccDr1kOl",
"links": [
[
"creatures",
"creatures"
],
[
"beings",
"beings"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(rare) creatures, beings"
],
"tags": [
"rare"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/fɔlk/"
}
],
"word": "folk"
}
{
"categories": [
"Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
"Middle English lemmas",
"Middle English nouns",
"Middle English terms derived from Old English",
"Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
"Middle English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
"Middle English terms inherited from Old English",
"Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
"Middle English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
"Pages with 18 entries",
"Pages with entries",
"West Frisian entries with incorrect language header",
"West Frisian interjections",
"West Frisian lemmas",
"West Frisian neuter nouns",
"West Frisian nouns",
"West Frisian terms derived from Old Frisian",
"West Frisian terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
"West Frisian terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
"West Frisian terms inherited from Old Frisian",
"West Frisian terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
"West Frisian terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
"enm:Collectives",
"enm:Military",
"enm:People"
],
"descendants": [
{
"depth": 1,
"templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "folk"
},
"expansion": "English: folk",
"name": "desc"
}
],
"text": "English: folk"
},
{
"depth": 1,
"templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "sco",
"2": "fowk"
},
"expansion": "Scots: fowk",
"name": "desc"
}
],
"text": "Scots: fowk"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "ang",
"3": "folc"
},
"expansion": "Old English folc",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "gmw-pro",
"3": "*folk"
},
"expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *folk",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "gem-pro",
"3": "*fulką"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Germanic *fulką",
"name": "inh"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Old English folc, from Proto-West Germanic *folk, from Proto-Germanic *fulką.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "folk",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "folkes",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "folke",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "foolk",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "fok",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "folck",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "folc",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "follc",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "volk",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "nouns",
"g": "",
"g2": "",
"g3": "",
"head": "",
"sort": ""
},
"expansion": "folk",
"name": "head"
},
{
"args": {
"pl": "folk",
"pl2": "folkes"
},
"expansion": "folk (plural folk or folkes)",
"name": "enm-noun"
}
],
"lang": "Middle English",
"lang_code": "enm",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"word": "lond folk"
},
{
"word": "Northfolk"
},
{
"word": "Suffolk"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"Middle English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_english_offsets": [
[
89,
93
]
],
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
82,
86
]
],
"english": "There came at nightfall to that hostelry / Some nine and twenty in a company / Of sundry folk who had chanced to fall / In fellowship, and pilgrims were they all",
"ref": "1387–1400, [Geoffrey] Chaucer, “Here Bygynneth the Book of the Tales of Caunt́burẏ”, in The Tales of Caunt́bury (Hengwrt Chaucer; Peniarth Manuscript 392D), Aberystwyth, Ceredigion: National Library of Wales, published [c. 1400–1410], →OCLC, folio 2, recto, lines 23-26:",
"text": "At nyght was come / in to that hoſtelrye / Wel ·xxix· in a compaignye / Of sondry folk / by auenture yfalle / In felaweſhipe / and pilgrymes weere they alle",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"people, folk (multiple individuals)"
],
"links": [
[
"people",
"people"
],
[
"folk",
"folk#English"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
"Middle English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_english_offsets": [
[
8,
15
]
],
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
2,
8
]
],
"english": "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.",
"ref": "c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.), published c. 1410, Apocalips 11:18, page 121r, column 2; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:",
"text": "⁊ 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",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"nation, race, stock"
],
"links": [
[
"nation",
"nation"
],
[
"race",
"race"
],
[
"stock",
"stock"
]
]
},
{
"glosses": [
"group, band, troop (of people):",
"subjects, followers, comitatus"
],
"links": [
[
"group",
"group"
],
[
"band",
"band"
],
[
"troop",
"troop"
],
[
"subjects",
"subjects"
],
[
"followers",
"followers"
],
[
"comitatus",
"comitatus"
]
]
},
{
"glosses": [
"group, band, troop (of people):",
"army, retinue (group of armed people)"
],
"links": [
[
"group",
"group"
],
[
"band",
"band"
],
[
"troop",
"troop"
],
[
"army",
"army"
],
[
"retinue",
"retinue"
]
]
},
{
"glosses": [
"group, band, troop (of people):",
"gathering, parliament"
],
"links": [
[
"group",
"group"
],
[
"band",
"band"
],
[
"troop",
"troop"
],
[
"gathering",
"gathering"
],
[
"parliament",
"parliament"
]
]
},
{
"glosses": [
"family, kin, relatives"
],
"links": [
[
"family",
"family"
],
[
"kin",
"kin"
],
[
"relatives",
"relatives"
]
]
},
{
"glosses": [
"humankind, humanity; all people"
],
"links": [
[
"humankind",
"humankind"
],
[
"humanity",
"humanity"
],
[
"people",
"people"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
"Middle English terms with rare senses"
],
"glosses": [
"creatures, beings"
],
"links": [
[
"creatures",
"creatures"
],
[
"beings",
"beings"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(rare) creatures, beings"
],
"tags": [
"rare"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/fɔlk/"
}
],
"word": "folk"
}
Download raw JSONL data for folk meaning in Middle English (5.5kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-06-05 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-06-01 using wiktextract (5ee713e and f1c2b61). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.