For example, “a flock of birds” refers to a group of birds as a single entity, while “a herd of cattle” refers to a group of cattle as separate individuals. Collective nouns are used to describe a group of things as a whole and can be either singular or plural depending on the context in which they are used. (Plural collective noun, referring to a group of fish as separate individuals)Ī collective noun is a noun that refers to a group of people, animals, or objects as a single entity. A school of fish are swimming in the ocean.(Singular collective noun, referring to a group of wolves as a single entity) A pack of wolves is hunting in the forest.Collective nouns are used to describe a group of things as a whole, and they can be either singular or plural depending on the context in which they are used. What is collective noun noun with example?Ī collective noun is a noun that refers to a group of people, animals, or objects as a single entity. What are 10 examples of collective nouns? Collective nouns can add a rich and descriptive touch to writing, and are often used in formal or poetic language.Ĭollective Nouns Pdf List – Animals A flock of birds Some common examples of collective nouns include: “flock” (referring to a group of birds), “school” (referring to a group of fish), “herd” (referring to a group of cattle), “pack” (referring to a group of wolves), “swarm” (referring to a group of bees), and “pride” (referring to a group of lions). Collective nouns are used to describe a group of things as a single unit, and can be either singular or plural, depending on the context in which they are used. PDF NameĪ collective noun is a type of noun that refers to a group of individuals or objects as a single entity. The quest for a collective noun for koalas continues.Collective Nouns Pdf List, Collective Nouns List Pdf, Collective Nouns List Animals. A Reddit thread on the same topic suggested a g’day or a crikey, alluding to how the koala is an iconic Australian animal. These play on either the koala’s cuteness (‘cuddle’) or their tendency to be fairly sedentary (‘doze’, ‘kip’ and ‘coma’). But he received a lot of reader suggestions, including a cuddle, a doze, a kip, a coma or a kerfuffle. Maybe it is simply, like the platypus, we don’t really think about collectives of koalas (although we do talk about koala colonies). He was unable to find either an agreed-upon collective noun or a reason why there wasn’t one. Australian word enthusiast David Astle investigated this issue in October 2020 in his column in The Sydney Morning Herald. One animal that has long been lacking a collective noun is the koala. For example, a paddle of platypuses is mentioned as the collective noun for platypuses by the Australian Platypus Conservancy - although, as it points out, the platypus is in fact a solitary creature not to be found in collectives. These expressions play on both a feature of these animals, as well as alliteration, and they may be gaining some semi-official status. So, we now have a wisdom of wombats, a paddle of platypuses, and a crackle (or chattering) of cockatoos. But some others seem to be gaining traction recently, perhaps helped along by the way these terms circulate and are repeated on the internet. It is the only collective noun included in the second edition of The Australian National Dictionary (2016). A mob of kangaroos is the one with the longest history, being first used to describe a group of kangaroos in 1846. Nevertheless, a smattering of collective nouns for Australian animals are in circulation. Some of the colourful suggestions submitted were a shame of dingoes, a marauding of magpies, and a union of wallabies. To address this shortcoming, in 2004 my predecessor as Director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre at ANU, Dr Bruce Moore, put out a call to the community. However, Australia, a country blessed with a variety of unique birds and animals, surprisingly does not have a rich selection of collective nouns. You might be across the plural of platypus (platypuses not platypi), but do you know what to call a group of them?Ĭollective nouns for animals - a parliament of owls or a troop of monkeys - have a long history in the English language.
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