Notes: The phrase "An abomination of monks" is frequently cited as a legitimate collective noun for monks. It is actually a misinterpretation of the title of a protestant treatise written by Jan Hus around 1400.
An "anthology of prostitutes" is a pun on "anthology of prose", as "pro" is a common contraction for prostitute in Britain and elsewhere.
The phrase "A court of kangaroos" is frequently thought to be legitimate, given the (quite unrelated) expression "a kangaroo court". There is no known evidence of its legitimacy as a collective noun, however.
Many of these original collectivenouns are archaic: a "harass of horses" doesn't seem to have been used much since the 1400s.
Some alternatives for collectivenouns can be clearly traced to the evolution of pronunciation in different areas (hence a "parcel of hogs" and a "passel of hogs").
The all-time champion collectivenoun is "set", for it can legitimately be used as a collectivenoun for a vast number of concepts (a set of ideals, plans, ambitions, principles, objectives, mathematical objects, etc) or inanimate (typically manufactured) objects (knives, spoons, keys, dinnerware, manuals, etc).
Collectivenouns (also known as terms of venery, veneral nouns or nouns of assemblage) in English are subject-specific words used to define a grouping of people, animals, objects or concepts.
Some alternatives for collectivenouns can be clearly traced to the evolution of pronunciation in different areas (hence a "parcel of hogs" and a "passel of hogs").
The all-time champion collectivenoun is "set", for it can legitimately be used as a collectivenoun for a vast number of concepts (a set of ideals, plans, ambitions, principles, objectives, mathematical objects, etc) or inanimate (typically manufactured) objects (knives, spoons, keys, dinnerware, manuals, etc).
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