xpertopk.blogg.se - What is collective noun

They follow different rules.įirst, uncountable nouns can’t be plural. You’ll see more examples in the next section, but here are three: money, rice and knowledge are all uncountable nouns.Ĭountable and uncountable nouns behave differently. One water, two waters…? No, that doesn’t work. One pen, two pens, three pens, and so on.

The terms like a gaggle of geese or a nest of mice, reflect animal behaviour since they were created for hunting purposes. Other terms, like a crush of rhinos, are more recent additions, probably created to match the arcane names.Some nouns are countable. The book is also known by a more accurate title of “ The Book of Hawking, Hunting, and Blasing of Arms“Īnd when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. So when English kings reverted to speaking English, the Book of Saint Albans was published to provide English terms used in hunting – a practice reserved for nobility alone. For centuries, the English nobility spoke French rather than English. Most of these terms originate from the Book of Saint Albans written in 1486 to introduce the terms of venery, which is an old French word for hunting. Who and how came up with names like a parliament of owls?Ī brief search on google reveals an interesting picture. You may rightfully wonder about the origin of these unexpected terms.

Waterfowl – bunch, knob (less than 30), raft (on water).

Swans – wedge (in V formation in flight).

Pheasants – bevy, bouquet (when flushed), nye.

Hawks – cast (a pair released after game), kettle (riding a thermal), leash (three).

Geese – gaggle, skein (in flight), wedge (in V formation in flight).

Falcons – cast (a pair released after game).

Ducks – paddling (on water) raft (on water).

Horses – harras, span (a team of two), string.

Fur seals – harem (belonging to one male).

If you would like to impress your friends on your next safari, pick a couple of terms from the list below and use them at the first chance you get. That conversation piqued my curiosity and I decided to look up some more collective nouns for animals.

No doubt, he’s been waiting for a chance to drop it in a conversation since the beginning of our trip. In answer to our blank stares, he explained that the collective noun used for a group of parrots was a pandemonium. The collective nouns used as names for groups of animals are often unexpectedly bizarre. While most of us know that a group of lions is called a pride, who knew that a group of jaguars is called a shadow? Or that the collective noun for leopards is a leap?Įarlier this year, I found myself watching a very active bird feeder on a Brazilian farm in the Pantanal, when I heard my friend remark: “Such a colourful pandemonium of parrots”.

If you have no idea what I am talking about, you are not alone. A crash of rhinos, anyone? Or a prickle of porcupines? How about a parliament of owls?