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A Parliament of Owls: A Book of Collective Nouns
Why are geese in a gaggle? Are lions actually proud? And do crows deserve their murderous moniker?
Collective nouns are one of the most bizarre and baffling aspects of the English language, and this absorbing book tells the stories of these evocative phrases, exploring and explaining the etymology behind them.
Each collective noun summons up the animal or event it describes. But where did they come from? 'A parliament of owls', for example, seems to have its origins in the 1950s children's classic The Chronicles of Narnia in which C.S. Lewis references a phrase from Chaucer, 'the parliament of fowls'. Lewis' version changed 'fowls' to 'owls' and due to the international success of his books it caught on and is now recognised as dictionary compilers as the 'correct' term for a group of owls.
Perfect for any history or language buff, this is an entertaining and fascinating look at many of the bizarre phrases which have stood the test of time.
Collective nouns are one of the most bizarre and baffling aspects of the English language, and this absorbing book tells the stories of these evocative phrases, exploring and explaining the etymology behind them.
Each collective noun summons up the animal or event it describes. But where did they come from? 'A parliament of owls', for example, seems to have its origins in the 1950s children's classic The Chronicles of Narnia in which C.S. Lewis references a phrase from Chaucer, 'the parliament of fowls'. Lewis' version changed 'fowls' to 'owls' and due to the international success of his books it caught on and is now recognised as dictionary compilers as the 'correct' term for a group of owls.
Perfect for any history or language buff, this is an entertaining and fascinating look at many of the bizarre phrases which have stood the test of time.
- GenresNonfictionLanguage
193 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 28, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 7, 2024
A diverting read, a book filled with curiosities.
August 5, 2025
Interesting. Readable, albeit a tad ‘dry’. It had cute owls on the hardcover. 😊
January 26, 2025
Most people know the term for a group of owls - a parliament of owls. Other animals too - a herd of elephants, a school of fish, a murder of crows. A few still in common use today. But what about a clowder of cats? A safe of ducks? An obstinancy of buffalo? This book goes into the lesser-known collective nouns that were once known but have fallen out of favour.
It dedicates a page or two to each noun, talking about it's origins, usage and what this tells us about past perceptions of various animals and peoples. Most of the collective nouns come from The Book of St Albans, originally printed in 1486, so this is where most of the terms originate and are reflective of life in this time period.
It's not an in-depth book, but it doesn't need to be. A page on each term is more than enough, and I found it interesting to the end.
It dedicates a page or two to each noun, talking about it's origins, usage and what this tells us about past perceptions of various animals and peoples. Most of the collective nouns come from The Book of St Albans, originally printed in 1486, so this is where most of the terms originate and are reflective of life in this time period.
It's not an in-depth book, but it doesn't need to be. A page on each term is more than enough, and I found it interesting to the end.
June 12, 2025
This nonfiction book is a good listing dictionary, a book full of curious collective nouns
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews