Folkloristics evolved into an independent scholarship in the context of the nationbuilding process and the ideas of national romanticism, which implicitly continue to prevail in many countries. While the experience, expressive culture and environment studied by folklorists today appears dynamic and varied, the discipline has also undergone a conceptual change. However, theoretical discussions have remained relatively scarce, particularly in Estonian. Folklorists tend to use many concepts that are inter- or transdisciplinary in essence, as if these were neutral, objective or extemporal formulations and epistemological givens, instead of recognizing their constructed nature and dependence on social, political or historical contingencies. this contribution proposes to elaborate on the development of particular concepts (culture, representation, tradition, memory, and cultural heritage) through international disciplinary histories, and to contemplate their interpretations as well as their interpretative potentials.