etymology - A murder of crows?


I love the subset of collective nouns known as the terms of venery. These are collective nouns specific to a particular group of animals. Some of the more inventive examples are: a murder of crows, a crash of rhinos, a mischief of mice, and a puddling of ducks (specifically swimming ducks).


Is there a standard for these group names and is there a central reference for them as with other zoological taxonomy? I can see in the Wikipedia articles that the practice has its origins in Medieval Hunting tradition, but the Kangaroo (Mob), for instance would have been unknown at that time, so how do new collections come into being?



Answer



If you have interest in this subject, James Lipton's An Exaltation of Larks is the chief reference work.


What you'll learn is that there are usually two (and sometimes three) group nouns for animals and birds. There will be a term of venery of a classical nature, often coined by hunters or gamekeepers (a murder of crows, an unkindness of ravens, a parliament of owls) and a general term used by laypersons (flock, herd).


Expert English users will be familiar with both sets, and general users will have a vague sense that there are such terms, but know very few of them.


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