Volkslied

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A song belonging to the folk tradition, depicting the social customs, historical experiences, and cultural identity of a specific group or nation
2. A musical form that embodies the collective memory, narratives, and communal values of particular communities or ethnicities
3. A traditional song that reflects the shared culture, history, and values of a community or nation through its lyrics and melodies

Etymology: The English word is a direct borrowing of German "Volkslied", a compound of "Volk" (people, nation, folk) and "Lied" (song). The compound is the reason the English term reads so transparently: it is simply "people's song," and it carries the German idea of a song belonging to a whole community rather than to a named composer. The word arrived in English as a loan from German, which is why it keeps its German spelling with a capital V and its compound structure intact. Its meaning in English is the same as in German: a song handed down orally within a people, with no known author, as opposed to a piece written by a particular composer.