The “terms of venery” were the words used for certain groupings. Originally they referred mostly to game animals and birds, including edible fish.
It was all fanciful, a sort of name game for, um, naming game. The fun eventually extended to groups of people… beggars, judges, merchants, etc. And even to different types of animal droppings.
But again, it was mostly a glossary of fun rather than function.
Almost all are obsolete today, though a few persist. A gaggle of geese, right? But you are more likely to encounter them in crossword puzzles than in the real world.
I have to admit, I do like “an exaltation of larks” which is the title of one published list of the terms.
The “terms of venery” were the words used for certain groupings. Originally they referred mostly to game animals and birds, including edible fish.
It was all fanciful, a sort of name game for, um, naming game. The fun eventually extended to groups of people… beggars, judges, merchants, etc. And even to different types of animal droppings.But again, it was mostly a glossary of fun rather than function.
Almost all are obsolete today, though a few persist. A gaggle of geese, right? But you are more likely to encounter them in crossword puzzles than in the real world.
I have to admit, I do like “an exaltation of larks” which is the title of one published list of the terms.