Volk

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of people sharing a common language and culture, often referred to in discussions of nationalism and identity
2. A community or population that shares specific cultural and historical traits, representing a particular ethnic identity
3. The collective body of individuals within a specific cultural or national grouping, emphasizing shared characteristics and traditions

Etymology: English has two words from one ancestor: "folk" and "volk." Middle English had a northern and midland form, "folk," and a southern form, "volk," the same kind of sound difference that gives southern "vixen" for the "fixen" found elsewhere. The standard language kept "folk," and "volk" survived mainly as a doublet. Much later, English borrowed "volk" directly from Afrikaans, where it means a people or nation. In that language the word is closely tied to Afrikaner nationalism, so English speakers using it today often bring that sense of a people defined by shared language and heritage.

Synonyms: people, folk, nation, population, community

Antonyms: elite, aristocracy