One meaning often given is that of old songs, with no known composers another is music that has been transmitted and evolved by a process of oral transmission or performed by custom over a long period of time. It has been contrasted with commercial and classical styles. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers. Some types of folk music are also called world music.
The term originated in the 19th century but is often applied to music that is older than that. FOLK MUSIC INCLUDES both traditional music and the genre that evolved from it during the 20th century folk revival.
