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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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