Collective Noun
& Terms of Venery
collective noun
noun
/kəˌlektɪv ˈnaʊn/
(grammar)
Oxford Learners Dictionary
- a singular noun, such as committee or team, that refers to a group of people, animals or things and, in British English, can be used with either a singular or a plural verb. In American English it must be used with a singular verb.
What do unicorns and collective nouns have in common?
Arguably, not much. But let us assume that unicorns are like birds and with similar feathers they flock together. Well then, a group of unicorns needs a name. A name for when they come together. The obvious solution – our group of unicorns is a herd. Is this the best term for such a mythological marvel? A herd is typically a large group of animals of one kind kept together under human control as in a herd of horses or cattle. Yet, a herd can also be a congregation of gregarious wild animals. Gregarious meaning social in this context. So herd can mean a concentration of a species into a defined area by humans. And a group of wild social creatures congregating. We should consider the implications.
By the very lack of domesticated unicorn ranches, it seems safe to say our first definition of herd is woefully inadequate. Our second use case implies unicorns are social, wild, and congregate. Which is fine but I’m not sure that there is any empirical record to support for such assumptions about the habits of unicorns. This is where a certain type of collective noun needs to be employed. One that can tell us more about the group
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