folktale

/ˈfoʊkteɪl/

Etymology

From folk + tale.

folktale means A tale or story that is part of the oral tradition of a people or a place. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 82 out of 100.

folktale is pronounced /ˈfoʊkteɪl/.

Why “folktale” is a great word

FOLKTALE — [Noun] A story originating in and passed down through the oral tradition of a people or culture. From folk (from Old English folc, "common people, tribe") + tale (from Old English talu, "story, account"). Unlike a "fable," which codifies a moral through talking beasts, or a "myth," which explains the cosmos with sacred gravity, the folktale is a broader, secular story for entertainment and cultural reinforcement. It is the gleam of a talking fish in a dark river, the earthy cunning of the peasant outwitting the king, and the rhythmic, cautionary creak of a witch’s cottage door—a testament that before we wrote anything down, we were already whispering ourselves into existence.

noun

A tale or story that is part of the oral tradition of a people or a place.