folktale
Definition
Noun: A traditional story or legend originating among a people or culture, typically passed down orally from generation to generation before being recorded in writing. It often features elements of fantasy, moral lessons, or explanations of natural phenomena.
Usage
The word "folktale" is a countable noun. It refers specifically to a narrative belonging to the oral tradition of a community. It is often used in academic, cultural, and general contexts to discuss stories that reflect the values, beliefs, and customs of a particular group.
Examples
- Scholars collected and documented the ancient folktale before it was forgotten.
- The grandmother told the children a folktale about a clever rabbit and a stubborn bear.
- Many cultures have a folktale that explains how the leopard got its spots.
- Comparing similar folktales from different regions can reveal shared human experiences.
Advanced Usage
- As a genre or category: "Folktale" can be used to describe a category of literature.
- The library has a large collection of folktale anthologies from around the world.
- In contrast to other narratives: It is often distinguished from literary fairy tales (authored by a specific person) and myths (which involve gods and creation).
- While a myth explains the origins of the world, a folktale often teaches a practical lesson about human behavior.
Variants and Related Words
- Folklore (n): The broader body of culture, including stories, music, dances, legends, and oral history, shared by a particular group of people.
- Folk story (n): A synonym for "folktale."
- Fairy tale (n): A type of folktale that specifically features magical elements, enchantments, and often mythical creatures like fairies, giants, or goblins. All fairy tales are folktales, but not all folktales are fairy tales.
Synonyms
- Legend
- Folk story
- Traditional story
- Tale
Idioms and Phrases
- To have a folktale quality: Describing a modern story or situation that feels reminiscent of a traditional, often simplistic or moralistic, narrative.
- His rags-to-riches story has a real folktale quality to it.
Noun
-
a tale circulated by word of mouth among the common folk
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