. ▁While ▁contemporary ▁folk ▁music ▁is ▁a ▁genre ▁generally ▁distinct ▁from ▁traditional ▁folk ▁music , ▁in ▁U . S . ▁English ▁it ▁shares ▁the ▁same ▁name , ▁and ▁it ▁often ▁shares ▁the ▁same ▁perform ers ▁and ▁ven ues ▁as ▁traditional ▁folk ▁music . ▁ ▁Trad itional ▁folk ▁music ▁ ▁De fin itions ▁ ▁The ▁terms ▁folk ▁music , ▁folk ▁song , ▁and ▁folk ▁dance ▁are ▁compar atively ▁recent ▁expressions . ▁They ▁are ▁extensions ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁fol kl ore , ▁which ▁was ▁co ined ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁by ▁the ▁English ▁anti qu arian ▁William ▁Thom s ▁to ▁describe ▁" the ▁trad itions , ▁custom s , ▁and ▁super st itions ▁of ▁the ▁un c ult ured ▁classes ". ▁The ▁term ▁further ▁der ives ▁from ▁the ▁German ▁expression ▁vol k , ▁in ▁the ▁sense ▁of ▁" the ▁people ▁as ▁a ▁whole " ▁as ▁applied ▁to ▁popular ▁and ▁national ▁music ▁by ▁Johann ▁Gott fried ▁Her der ▁and ▁the ▁German ▁Rom antics ▁over ▁half ▁a ▁century ▁earlier . ▁ ▁Though ▁it ▁is ▁understood ▁that ▁folk ▁music ▁is ▁music ▁of ▁the ▁people , ▁obser vers ▁find ▁a ▁more ▁precise ▁definition ▁to ▁be ▁el us ive . ▁Some ▁do ▁not ▁even ▁agree ▁that ▁the ▁term ▁folk ▁music ▁should ▁be ▁used . ▁Fol k ▁music ▁may ▁tend ▁to ▁have ▁certain ▁characteristics ▁but ▁it ▁cannot ▁clearly ▁be ▁differenti ated ▁in ▁purely ▁musical ▁terms . ▁One ▁meaning ▁often ▁given ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁" old ▁songs , ▁with ▁no ▁known ▁compos ers ", ▁another ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁music ▁that