![]() ![]() (photo courtesy of worradmu via Freedigitalphotos. And I wonder if a memory of elephants led to the phrase “an elephant never forgets”? Which are your favourite collective nouns for animals? I particularly like pandemonium of parrots and smack of jellyfish as they seem rather apt. You might wish to familiarise yourself with this alphabetical selection of collective nouns for animals, birds and insects after all, you never know when they might come in handy! Some are fairly logical, others less so… Many of these nouns are still in circulation today, but some never really caught on, such as a fall of woodcocks and a shrewdness of apes. The first ‘collection’ of collective nouns in English is “The Book of St Albans “, printed in 1486 in three parts covering hawking, hunting and heraldry. many other collective animal nouns are specific to a single bird, or even to a bird in a particular state for example, a ‘badling of ducks’ when they are on the ground only. For example, a parliament of rooks, a murmuration of starlings and an unkindness of ravens can each be traced back as far as the 15th century. Whilst some collective nouns for the birds of Africa are general and can be used for any subject swarm, flock, etc. Many have been with us for centuries, while new variations or completely new ones are emerging all the time.Īccording to the Oxford Dictionary blog, the first collective nouns were typically for groups of animals and birds. Origins of collective nounsĪs with most words in the English language, collective nouns have evolved over time. Yet there are many other collective nouns for animals – known as “terms of venery” – that are less well known but equally worthy. Most people will be familiar with the terms gaggle of geese, litter of puppies, pride of lions and school of dolphins.
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