folks, n. collect. & pl. [AS. folc; akin to D. volk, OS. & OHG. folk, G. volk, Icel. f, Sw. & Dan. folk, Lith. pulkas crowd, and perh. to E. follow.].

In Anglo-Saxon times, the people of a group of townships or villages; a community; a tribe. [1913 Webster]
"The organization of each folk, as such, sprang mainly from war." [1913 Webster]

People in general, or a separate class of people; -- generally used in the plural form, and often with a qualifying adjective; as, the old folks; poor folks. [1913 Webster]
"In winter's tedious nights, sit by the fire
With good old folks, and let them tell thee tales." [1913 Webster]

The persons of one's own family; as, our folks are all well. Bartlett. [1913 Webster]

Folk song, one of a class of songs long popular with the common people. -- Folk speech, the speech of the common people, as distinguished from that of the educated class.

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THESAURUS

folks
agnate, ancestry, blood, blood relation, blood relative, brood, children, clansman, cognate, collateral, collateral relative, connections, consanguinean, distaff side, distant relation, enate, family, flesh, flesh and blood, german, get, hearth, homefolks, house, household, issue, kin, kindred, kinfolk, kinnery, kinsfolk, kinsman, kinsmen, kinswoman, kith and kin, menage, near relation, next of kin, offspring, people, posterity, relations, relatives, sib, sibling, spear kin, spear side, spindle kin, spindle side, sword side, tribesman, uterine kin

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