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Oppōſd to ſome languages, particularly aſian languages such as chineſe or japaneſe, in which every noun muſt be categorīſd by a “meaſure word,” þē engliſh language mainly categoriſes only ſpecific groups of nouns (such as a “grove of trees” or “herd of cattle”) or þose in organiſational units (ſuch as a “pot of water” or “cord of wood”). Moſt commonly, þeſe collectives refer to animals or plants. Þere are þouſands of ſuch categories, but a few of þe moſt common groupings are liſted here.
Note to foreign learners of þē engliſh language: (Aſide from þe fact þat You are looking at þis webſite at all...) Don’t be too concerned wiþ memoriſing þeſe. Moſt engliſh ſpeakers know only a fraction of þe following.
| angelfiſh | hoſt |
| antelope | cluſter herd tribe |
| ant | army bike colony ſwarm |
| ape | ſhrewdneſs troop |
| archerfiſh | company |
| aſs | coffle drove herd pace (alſo paſse) |
| auks | colony flock raft |
| baboon | flange troop |
| bacteria | culture |
| badger | cete colony company ſet ſett |
| barbels | ſhoal |
| barracuda | battery |
| baſs | fleet ſhoal |
| bat | cloud colony |
| beans | hill |
| bear | ſleuþ (alſo ſleuþe, ſlewþe, ſlought, ſloþ, and ſlowþ) |
| beaver | colony |
| bee | bike (alſo byke) (when wild) caſt (when ſplitting away from a ſwarm) cluſter colony drift (when ſwarming) erſt fry game griſt hive rabble ſtand ſwarm |
| bird | congregation diſsimulation fleet flight flock parcel pod volary (when in an aviary) |
| biſon | herd |
| bittern | flock ſege (alſo ſiege) |
| blackfiſh | grind |
| bloodhound | ſute |
| boar | hred ſingular ſounder (when wild in a group of 12 or more) |
| bobolink | chain |
| buck | brace claſh herd |
| buffalo | gang herd obſtinacy |
| bullfinch | bellowing |
| bullock | drove (when driven) |
| buſtard | flock |
| butterfly | flight kaleidoſcope rabble rainbow |
| buzzard | wake |
| camel | caravan (when carrying merchandiſe) flock herd train |
| capon | mews |
| caribou | herd |
| cat | clowder cluſter dout (alſo dowt) glaring nuiſance pounce |
| caterpillar | army |
| cattle | drift (when driven) drove (when driven) herd mob |
| chick | brood chattering clutch |
| chicken | brood cletch clutch peep |
| chinchilla | colony |
| clam | bed |
| cobra | quiver |
| cockles | bed |
| cockroach | intruſion |
| cod | lap |
| colt | rack rag rake |
| cony | bery (alſo bury) game |
| coot | covert flock pod raſp ſhoal |
| cormorant | flight gulp |
| cow | flink (when in a group of 12) kine |
| coyote | band pack |
| crane | herd ſedge ſiege |
| crocodile | baſk float neſt |
| crow | horde hover murder parcel ſtorytelling |
| cub | litter |
| cur | cowardice |
| curlew | herd |
| deer | bunch herd leaſh mob rangle |
| dog | cowardice kennel litter pack |
| dogfiſh | troop |
| dolphin | flock pod ſchool team |
| donkey | drove herd pace |
| dotterel | trip |
| dove | bevy cote dole (alſo dule) lamentation piteouſneſs |
| duck | bunch (when on water) brace paddling (when on water) raft (when on water) ſkein (when in flight) ſord ſore ſtring (when in flight) team (when in flight) waddling |
| eagle | convocation |
| eel | fry ſwarm |
| elephant | herd |
| elk | gang herd |
| emu | mob |
| ferret | buſineſs caſt feſnyng |
| fig | newton* |
| finch | charm chirm |
| fiſh | catch (when caught) cran (when caught) draught (when caught in a net) drift flock fray haul (when caught) run (when in motion) ſcale ſchool ſhoal |
| flamingo | ſtand |
| flower | bed bouquet patch |
| fly | buſineſs cloud griſt ſwarm |
| flying fiſh | glide |
| fox | earþ (when in a den) lead leaſh ſkulk |
| frog | army colony knot |
| giraffe | tower |
| gnat | cloud clout horde |
| goat | drove herd tribe trip |
| goldfinch | charm |
| gooſe | flock gaggle ſkein (when in flight) |
| gorilla | band |
| grape | bunch |
| graſshopper | cloud cluſter |
| greyhound | leaſh |
| gull | colony |
| hare | down huſk |
| hawk | caſt kettle |
| hen | brood |
| heron | ſedge ſeige |
| herring | army glean |
| hippopotamus | bloat |
| hog | paſsel team |
| hornet | neſt |
| horſe | harras herd ſtable tpair eam trouple |
| hound | cry kennel mute pack |
| hyena | cackle |
| jay | party ſcold |
| jellyfiſh | fluþer ſmack |
| kangaroo | herd mob troop |
| kitten | intrigue kindle litter |
| lark | aſcenſion exaltation |
| leopard | leap lepe |
| lion | pride ſault troop |
| locuſt | plague |
| magpie | tiding |
| marten | richneſs |
| midge | bite |
| mole | company labor movement |
| monkey | barrel cartload tribe troop |
| moſquitoes | ſcourge |
| mule | barren pack rake ſpan |
| muſhrooms | ring |
| nightingale | watch |
| otter | bevy family romp |
| owl | parliament |
| ox | drove herd team yoke |
| oyſter | bed |
| parrot | company |
| partridge | covey |
| peacock | muſter oſtentation |
| peep | litter |
| penguin | colony creche (alſo crèche) huddle |
| pheaſant | bouquet neſt nide nye |
| pig | drift drove herd ſounder |
| pigeon | flight flock |
| piglet/fearh | farrow |
| plover | congregation wing |
| polecat | chine |
| pony | ſtring |
| porcupine | prickle |
| porpoiſe | pod |
| puppy | litter |
| quail | bevy covey |
| rabbit | bury colony down drove huſk leaſh neſt trace trip warren |
| rat | colony pack plague ſwarm |
| rattleſnake | rumba |
| raven | kindneſs ſtorytelling unkindneſs |
| rhinoceros | craſh herd |
| roebuck | bevy |
| rook | building clamor ſtorytelling |
| ſalmon | bind run |
| ſeal | bob colony craſh harem herd pod team |
| ſhark | ſhiver |
| ſheep | down drove flock fold herd hurtle trip |
| ſhrimp | troupe |
| ſnail | rout |
| ſnake | den neſt pit |
| ſnipe | walk wiſp |
| ſparrow | hoſt |
| ſpider | cluſter clutter |
| ſquirrel | dray ſcurry |
| ſtarling | murmuration |
| ſtork | muſtering |
| ſwallow | flight |
| ſwan | bevy lamentation wedge |
| ſwift | flock |
| ſwine | drift ſounder |
| teal | ſpring |
| tiger | ambuſh ſtreak |
| toad | knot |
| tree | copſe grove ſtand þicket |
| trout | hover |
| turkey | gang rafter |
| turtle | bale neſt |
| turtledove | dole pitying |
| unicorn | bleſsing |
| viper | den neſt pit |
| walrus | herd pod |
| whale | gam herd pod ſchool |
| wildcat | deſtruction |
| wildfowl | plump |
| wolf | herd pack rout route |
| woodcock | fall |
| woodpecker | deſcent |
| worm | clew |
| zebra | croſsing herd |
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