folk

n. [ AS. folcland. ] (O.Eng. Law) Land held in villenage, being distributed among the folk, or people, at the pleasure of the lord of the manor, and resumed at his discretion. Not being held by any assurance in writing, it was opposed to bookland or charter land, which was held by deed. Mozley & W.

{ n., or }. Tales, legends, or superstitions long current among the people; the unwritten literature of a culture, such as stories, proverbs, riddles and songs. Trench. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ AS. folcmōt folk meeting. ] An assembly of the people; esp. (Sax. Law), a general assembly of the people to consider and order matters of the commonwealth; also, a local court. [ Hist. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

To which folkmote they all with one consent
Agreed to travel. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who takes part in a folkmote, or local court. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , n. collect. & pl. [ AS. folc; akin to D. volk, OS. & OHG. folk, G. volk, Icel. fōlk, Sw. & Dan. folk, Lith. pulkas crowd, and perh. to E. follow. ] 1. (Eng. Hist.) In Anglo-Saxon times, the people of a group of townships or villages; a community; a tribe. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The organization of each folk, as such, sprang mainly from war. J. R. Green. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. People in general, or a separate class of people; -- generally used in the plural form, and often with a qualifying adjective; as, the old folks; poor folks. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

In winter's tedious nights, sit by the fire
With good old folks, and let them tell thee tales. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The persons of one's own family; as, our folks are all well. [ Colloq. New Eng. ] Bartlett. [ 1913 Webster ]

Folk song, one of a class of songs long popular with the common people. --
Folk speech, the speech of the common people, as distinguished from that of the educated class. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. same as cracker-barrel.
Syn. -- cracker-barrel, homespun. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. very informal and familiar; as, a folksy radio commentator; a folksy style. [ WordNet 1.5 ]