smallfolk

UK/ˈsmɔːlfəʊk/US/ˈsmɔlˌfoʊk/

nounC2Very rare — outside the 30,000 commonest English words, so you will meet it in writing rather than in speechToo rare in one of the two pools to compare — fewer than 20 uses in speech or in writing

The smallfolk are the ordinary common people of a land. The smallfolk suffer, among the smallfolk, feed the smallfolk.

It is a coinage of fantasy fiction rather than a historical term, though it is built exactly as a medieval word would be. It is always used from above, which is the whole point of it.

Definitions of smallfolk

1nounsmallfolkThe ordinary common people of a land.C2
“The lords fought their wars while the smallfolk lost their farms and harvests.”

smallfolk is a people.

Where it comes from

Small plus folk, built on the pattern of older English compounds.

From small + folk.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

← Vocabulary

smallfolk

UK/ˈsmɔːlfəʊk/US/ˈsmɔlˌfoʊk/

The smallfolk are the ordinary common people of a land. The smallfolk suffer, among the smallfolk, feed the smallfolk.

It is a coinage of fantasy fiction rather than a historical term, though it is built exactly as a medieval word would be. It is always used from above, which is the whole point of it.

Definitions of smallfolk

1nounsmallfolkThe ordinary common people of a land.C2
“The lords fought their wars while the smallfolk lost their farms and harvests.”

smallfolk is a people.

Where it comes from

Small plus folk, built on the pattern of older English compounds.

From small + folk.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA