folklife means folklore; those cultural traditions passed down orally or informally. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “folklife” is a great word
Folklife is the totality of traditional customs, material arts, and daily practices that constitute a community's lived heritage. A compound formed from the English words 'folk' (the common people of a specific region or culture) and 'life' (the activities and experiences that characterize a way of living). Unlike 'folklore,' which collects tales and songs, or 'ethnography,' which is the discipline of systematic study, folklife is the unselfconscious performance of culture itself. It is the specific stitch in a quilt, the particular cadence of a market vendor’s call, and the shared ritual of preparing a family meal; it is tradition not as artifact, but as the quiet, continuous act of living.
Etymology
From folk + life.
noun
- Folklore; those cultural traditions passed down orally or informally.