ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun
Etymology: translation of German volkskunde
1. : traditional customs, beliefs, dances, songs, tales, or sayings preserved orally and unreflectively among a people or group
2. : a comparative science that investigates the life and spirit of a people or of peoples as revealed in their traditional customs and tales — compare mythology
3. : a widely held unsupported specious notion or body of notions