{"id":66310,"date":"2024-10-02T17:31:57","date_gmt":"2024-10-02T22:31:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/?p=66310"},"modified":"2024-10-03T03:42:28","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T08:42:28","slug":"collective-noun-tea-towels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/?p=66310","title":{"rendered":"Collective Noun Tea Towels"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New York Review of Books recently spammed me with an email that led off like this:<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I have mixed feelings about those \"collective nouns\" for different kinds of animals<\/a>. A flock of birds, a herd of cows, a pack of wolves — fine. A flock of wolves, a herd of birds, a pack of cows — wrong, even weird. But a romp of otters? A plump of seals? A prickle of hedgehogs? A murder of crows? Give me a break…<\/p>\n

But according to the BBC<\/a>, these creative group names date back to 1486, and a book by Juliana Berners<\/a> entitled \"The Book of Hawking, Hunting and Blasing of Arms\". The BBC disagrees with Wikipedia about her name — \"Julia\" rather than \"Juliana\" — and also about the book title, which Wikipedia gives as The Book of Saint Albans<\/a><\/em>. A digital copy is here<\/a> — on a quick skim, I don't locate the \"165 collective nouns for groups of people and animals\" that the BBC article credits to her. No doubt readers will be able to do better, especially since the Wikipedia article links to the Gutenberg copy of an 1881 edition<\/a> where the list is fairly easy to find:<\/p>\n

The Compa\u1e8fn\u1e8fs of beest\u1e8fs and fowl\u1e8fs.<\/h3>\n
AN Herde of Hertis<\/div>\n
an herde of a\u019a\u019a ma\u1e45 dere<\/div>\n
an Herde of Swannys<\/div>\n
an Herde of Cranys<\/div>\n
an Herde of Corlewys<\/div>\n
an Herde of wrennys<\/div>\n
an Herde of harlottys<\/div>\n
a Nye of ffesaunttys<\/div>\n
a Beuy of Ladies<\/div>\n
a Beuy of Roos<\/div>\n
a Beuy of Quaylis<\/div>\n
a Sege of heronnys<\/div>\n
a Sege of betouris<\/div>\n
a Sorde or a sute of malardis<\/div>\n
a Mustre of Pecockys<\/div>\n
a walke of Snytis<\/div>\n
a Congregacion of peple<\/div>\n
an Exaltyng of Larkis<\/div>\n
a wache of Nyghtingalis<\/div>\n
an hoost of men<\/div>\n
a ffelis\u0127ippyng of yomen<\/div>\n
a Cherme of Goldefynches<\/div>\n
a Cast of Brede<\/div>\n
a Couple or a payer of botillis<\/div>\n
a fflight of Doues<\/div>\n
an vnkyndenes of Rauenes<\/div>\n
a Clateryng of choughes<\/div>\n
a Dissimulacion of breddis<\/div>\n
a Route of Knyghtis<\/div>\n
a Pride of Lionys<\/div>\n
a Sleuth of Beeris<\/div>\n
a Cete of Graies<\/div>\n
a Bery of Conyis<\/div>\n
a Riches of Martronys<\/div>\n
a Besynes of ferettis<\/div>\n
a Brace of grehoundis of ij<\/div>\n
a Lece of Grehoundis of .iij<\/div>\n
a Coupu\u019a\u019a of spaynellis<\/div>\n
a Couple of rennyng houndis<\/div>\n
a Litter of welpis<\/div>\n
a Kyndy\u019a\u019a of yong Cattis<\/div>\n
a Synguler of Boris<\/div>\n
a Dryft of tame Swyne<\/div>\n
an Harrasse of horse<\/div>\n
a Ragg of coltis or a Rake<\/div>\n
a Baren of Mulis<\/div>\n
a Trippe of Gete<\/div>\n
a Trippe of haaris<\/div>\n
a Gagle of gees<\/div>\n
a Brode of hennys<\/div>\n
a badelyng of Dokis<\/div>\n
a Noonpaciens of wyues<\/div>\n
a State of Prynces<\/div>\n
a Thongh of barons<\/div>\n
a Prudens of vikeris<\/div>\n
a Su\ua751fluyte of Nunnys<\/div>\n
a Scole of clerkes<\/div>\n
a Doctryne of doctoris<\/div>\n
a Conu\u0307tyng of prechouris<\/div>\n
a Sentence of Iuges<\/div>\n
a Dampnyng of Iurrouris<\/div>\n
a Diligens of Messangeris<\/div>\n
an Obeisians of \u1e9cuauntis<\/div>\n
a Sete of vssheris<\/div>\n
a Draught of boteleris<\/div>\n
a Proude shewyng of taloris<\/div>\n
a Tem\ua751ans of cokys<\/div>\n
a Stalke of fosteris<\/div>\n
a Boost of saudiouris<\/div>\n
a Laughtre of Osteloris<\/div>\n
a Glosyng of Tauerneris<\/div>\n
a Malepertnes of pedleres<\/div>\n
a Thraue of Throsheris<\/div>\n
a squatte of Dawberis<\/div>\n
a Fightyng of beggers<\/div>\n
an vntrouth of sompneris<\/div>\n
a Melody of Harpers<\/div>\n
A Pauuerty of pypers<\/div>\n
a sotelty of sergeauntis<\/div>\n
a Tabernacle of bakers<\/div>\n
a Drifte of fis\u0127ers<\/div>\n
a Disgysyng of Taylours<\/div>\n
a Bleche of sowteris<\/div>\n
a Smere of Coryouris<\/div>\n
a Clustre of Grapys<\/div>\n
a Clustre of chorlis<\/div>\n
a Rage of Maydenys<\/div>\n
a Rafu\u019a\u019a of Knauys<\/div>\n
a blus\u0127 of boyes<\/div>\n
an vncredibilite of Cocoldis<\/div>\n
a Couy of partrichis<\/div>\n
a Sprynge of Telis<\/div>\n
a Desserte of Lapwyng\ua76d<\/div>\n
a fa\u019a\u019a of woodecockis<\/div>\n
a Congregacion of Pleuers<\/div>\n
a Couert of cootis<\/div>\n
a Due\u019a\u019a of Turtillis<\/div>\n
a Titengis of Pies<\/div>\n
an Ost of sparowis<\/div>\n
a Swarme of bees<\/div>\n
a cast of haukis of ye<\/sup>\u00a0tour .ij<\/div>\n
a Lece of thessame haukis .iij<\/div>\n
a Flight of Goshaukes<\/div>\n
a Flight of swalowes<\/div>\n
a beldyng of Rookes<\/div>\n
a Murmuracion of stares<\/div>\n
a Route of woluess<\/div>\n
a Lepe of Lebardis<\/div>\n
a Shrewdenes of Apis<\/div>\n
a Skulke of Theuys<\/div>\n
a skulke of ffoxis<\/div>\n
a Nest of Rabettis<\/div>\n
a Labor of Mollis<\/div>\n
a Mute of houndes<\/div>\n
a Kene\u019a\u019a of Rachis<\/div>\n
a Sute of a lyam<\/div>\n
a Cowardnes of curris<\/div>\n
a Soundre of wilde swyne<\/div>\n
a Stode of Maris<\/div>\n
a Pase of Assis<\/div>\n
a Droue of Nete<\/div>\n
a fflocke of Shepe<\/div>\n
a Gagle of women<\/div>\n
a Pepe of chykennys<\/div>\n
a Multiplieng of husbondis<\/div>\n
a Pontificalite of prelatis<\/div>\n
a Dignyte of chanonys<\/div>\n
a Charge of curatis<\/div>\n
a Discrecion of Prestis<\/div>\n
a Sculke of freris<\/div>\n
a bhomynable sight of m\u014dkis<\/div>\n
a Sco\u019a\u019a of ffys\u0127<\/div>\n
a Example of Maisteris<\/div>\n
an Ob\u1e9cuans of herimytis<\/div>\n
an Eloquens of laweyeris<\/div>\n
an Execucion of Officerys<\/div>\n
a faith of Marchandis<\/div>\n
a \ua753uision of steward\ua76d of hous<\/div>\n
a Kerff of Panteris<\/div>\n
a Credens of Seweris<\/div>\n
an vnbrewyng of Kerueris<\/div>\n
a Safegarde of Porteris<\/div>\n
a Blast of hunteris<\/div>\n
a Thretenyng of courteyeris<\/div>\n
a Promyse of Tapsteris<\/div>\n
a Lyeng of pardeneris<\/div>\n
a Misbeleue of paynteris<\/div>\n
a Las\u0127 of Carteris<\/div>\n
a Scoldyng of Kemsteris<\/div>\n
a wonderyng of Tynkeris<\/div>\n
a waywardnes of haywardis<\/div>\n
a worship of writeris<\/div>\n
a Neu\u0307thriuyng of Iogoleris<\/div>\n
a ffraunch of Mylneris<\/div>\n
a Festre of Brewris<\/div>\n
a Goryng of Bochouris<\/div>\n
a Trynket of Corueseris<\/div>\n
a Plocke of Shoturneris<\/div>\n
a Dronkship of Coblers<\/div>\n
a Sculke of foxis<\/div>\n
a Clustre of Nottis<\/div>\n
a Rage of the teethe<\/div>\n
a Rasca\u019a\u019a of Boyes<\/div>\n
a Disworship of Scottis<\/div>\n

Update–<\/strong> indeed a commenter finds the relevant pages in the digital facsimile…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The New York Review of Books recently spammed me with an email that led off like this:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[248],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-usage"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=66310"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66310\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66329,"href":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66310\/revisions\/66329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=66310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=66310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=66310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}