This study explores the academic history of 19th-century England, focusing on the birth and subsequent development of the term “folk-lore”. English folklore studies originated from antiquarianism and were shaped by over 300 years of accumulated "heritage". In the early 19th century, the works and methodologies of the Grimm brothers were introduced to England, giving new meaning to the fragmented research of antiquarianism and inspiring William Thoms to coin the term “folk-lore” in 1846. Moreover, the founding of Notes and Queries and the establishment of the Folklore Society in 1878 also merit further investigation. By the late 19th century, a new generation of folklorists took on the burden of the “heritage” of antiquarianism and adopted cultural evolutionism as their theoretical foundation, hoping that folklore studies would gain academic legitimacy within the scientific framework of the time. However, they ultimately failed. According to the examination of the interactivity between folklore studies and related disciplines, this paper aims to provide new insights into the origins of British folklore studies, explore its role in specific national contexts, and offer reflections on the future development of folklore scholarship.
