Elias Weiss Friedman

James Lipton traced a number of these terms back to the 1400s, specifically to THE BOOK OF ST. ALBANS, printed in 1486. In addition to today’s ordinary terms, he discovered some that had a fresh sound, precisely because they had not made the 500-year journey to our modern era.

Lipton identifies six sources of inspiration for the terms. He lists these “Families” with the following examples:

1. Onomatopoeia: a murmuration of starlings, a gaggle of geese.

2. Characteristic (by far the largest Family): a leap of leopards, a skulk of foxes.

3. Appearance: a knot of toads, a parliament of owls.

4. Habitat: a shoal of bass, a nest of rabbits.

5. Comment (pro or con depending on viewpoint): a richness of martens, a cowardice of curs.

6. Error (in transcription or printing; sometimes preserved for centuries): “school” of fish was originally intended to be “shoal.”