Best collective nouns for animals3/12/2024 ![]() Shoulders could be broadened, eyes brightened, paunches flattened and foreheads heightened. Artists, like poets, were dependent on wealthy patrons for their living, so portrait painters had to strike a balance between truth and flattery. One aim of medieval portraiture was to present the sitter as they hoped to be remembered after their death. We're talking artists here, rather than decorators, and, in particular, painters of portraits. There are also accounts of the birds living up to their murderous name by enacting something known as a crow parliament ( kråkriksdag in Swedish), during which up to 500 birds are said to gather together before suddenly setting on one of their number and tearing it to pieces. They were suspected of having prophetic powers, and the appearance of a crow on the roof of a house was taken as an omen that someone inside would soon die. With their dark feathers and jet-black eyes, crows were regarded by 15th-century peasants as messengers of the devil or witches in disguise. While most terms for groups of birds are linked to their song or habitat, this one has its roots in medieval folklore. It's not a "fury of cuckolds", or "a weeping" or "a shamefulness", they're not in despair – they're either in denial or they're in the dark. This group of husbands is incredulous to discover that their wives have been unfaithful to them. The term sheds light on attitudes towards female sexuality and morality. The word "cuckold" comes from the habit of the female cuckoo bird putting her eggs into other birds' nests, and can be applied to any male unwittingly raising a rival's offspring. Using collective nouns in sentences is easy, and they are often used to refer to specific animal families.Like most collective nouns, this one is 15th century in origin and shows how much of a game the invention of such terms had become by the mid-1400s. There are many collective nouns for different animal groups, and some are funny and unusual. They help us to be more specific and visual in our language.
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