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folk·lore

(fōklôr′)

1. The traditional beliefs, myths, tales, and practices of a people, transmitted orally.

2. The comparative study of folk knowledge and culture. Also called folkloristics.

a. A body of widely accepted but usually spurious notions about a place, group, or institution: Rumors of their antics became part of the folklore of Hollywood.

b. A popular but unfounded belief.

folklor′ic adj.

folklor′ish adj.

folklor′ist n.

folk′lor·istic adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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