folks
People, and often your family or home crowd.
Also called kinfolk, my folks.
Updated September 21, 2026
folks pronunciation
/FOHKS/
Meaning
Can mean people in general, but in Southern and Appalachian talk it often points closer: your parents, your kin, or the neighbors around the homeplace. "How's your folks?" usually means how is the family. "Folks around here" means the local crowd you belong with. Warm word, not a census label.
How folks use it
- “How's your folks doing up in Hancock County?”
- “Folks around here don't lock the truck at the feed store.”
Origin and etymology
From Old English folc, meaning people or tribe. English kept the word everywhere, but Southern and Appalachian speech lean on it hard for kin and community. Related forms like menfolks show up in mountain dialect collections for the male side of a family or group.
Frequently asked questions
Does folks always mean parents?
No. Context decides. Your folks often means family; folks around here means the local people.