You might be across the plural of platypus (platypuses not platypi), but do you know what to call a group of them?
Collective nouns for animals — a parliament of owls or a troop of monkeys — have a long history in the English language. They date to at least the 15th century. However, Australia, a country blessed with a variety of unique birds and animals, surprisingly does not have a rich selection of collective nouns.
To address this shortcoming, in 2004 my predecessor as Director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre at ANU, Dr Bruce Moore, put out a call to the community. Some of the colourful suggestions submitted were a shame of dingoes, a marauding of magpies, and a union of wallabies. But few of these have taken off.
Nevertheless, a smattering of collective nouns for Australian animals are in circulation. A mob of kangaroos is the one with the longest history, being first used to describe a group of kangaroos in 1846. It is the only collective noun included in the second edition of The Australian National Dictionary (2016). But some others seem to be gaining traction recently, perhaps helped along by the way these terms circulate and are repeated on the internet.
So, we now have a wisdom of wombats, a paddle of platypuses, and a crackle (or chattering) of co*ckatoos. These expressions play on both a feature of these animals, as well as alliteration, and they may be gaining some semi-official status. For example, a paddle of platypuses is mentioned as the collective noun for platypuses by the Australian Platypus Conservancy — although, as it points out, the platypus is in fact a solitary creature not to be found in collectives.
One animal that has long been lacking a collective noun is the koala. Why this is the case remains a mystery. Australian word enthusiast David Astle investigated this issue in October 2020 in his column in The Sydney Morning Herald. He was unable to find either an agreed-upon collective noun or a reason why there wasn’t one.
Maybe it is simply, like the platypus, we don’t really think about collectives of koalas (although we do talk about koala colonies). But he received a lot of reader suggestions, including a cuddle, a doze, a kip, a coma or a kerfuffle. These play on either the koala’s cuteness (‘cuddle’) or their tendency to be fairly sedentary (‘doze’, ‘kip’ and ‘coma’). A Reddit thread on the same topic suggested a g’day or a crikey, alluding to how the koala is an iconic Australian animal.
The quest for a collective noun for koalas continues.
Top image: Anya Wotton/ANU
FAQs
Dingoes became a pack of wild dogs, and one term that we like to think is Australian, a mob of kangaroos (also applied to sheep and cattle), is used elsewhere in the world for other groups of animals. “A mob is an untidy collection, whereas a pack is much more orderly,” Sue says.
What is a group of Australians called? ›
There isnt really a collective noun but, descriptive wording. Australian citizens, Australians, Aussies, Ozies, are aplicable depending on context and level of politeness to describe the people.
What is the collective noun for animals? ›
Collective Nouns for Animals
| Antelope: a herd | Flamingos: a stand or flamboyance |
|---|
| Crows: a murder | Leopards: a leap |
| Deer: a herd | Lice: a flock |
| Dogs: a pack or cowardice; Puppies: a litter | Lions: a pride |
| Dolphins: a pod | Locusts: a plague or cloud |
36 more rowsIn Australia alone, there are 23 different species of possum. The collective term for a group of possums is a passel.
What is a collective of Koalas called? ›
They are fairly solitary creatures, although they do like to be living in overlapping home ranges in bushland with other Koalas. We usually call these groups 'Koala populations' or 'Koala colonies'.
What is a group of sheep called in Australia? ›
Flock – a group of sheep (or goats). All the sheep on a property (in Australian Wool Classing); also all the sheep in a region or country. Sometimes called herd or mob.
What do Australians call a group of kangaroos? ›
The collective noun for kangaroos is a mob. Wallabies also are a mob. Collective nouns for other Australian animals include a wisdom of wombats, a parade of echidnas, a paddle of platypuses.
What do Australians call crocodiles? ›
Australian English slang absolutely loves to shorten words. Barbecue becomes “barbie”, breakfast is “brekkie,” a crocodile is a “croc”, and so on.
What is a white Australian called? ›
European Australians, Australians with European ancestry. Anglo-Celtic Australians, an Australian with ancestry from the British Isles. White people, who are Australians.
What are 50 collective nouns? ›
Examples of Collective Nouns
- Collective noun for bees – Swarm.
- Collective noun for fish – Shoal or School.
- Collective noun for sheep – Herd.
- Collective noun for ships – Fleet.
- Collective noun for birds – Flock.
- Collective noun for lions – Pride.
- Collective noun for wolves – Pack.
- Collective noun for ants – Colony.
List of Common Collective Nouns
| Gaggle | A group of geese. |
|---|
| Herd | A group of large animals, such as cows or elephants. |
| Colony | A group of organisms, often referring to ants or bees. |
| Ensemble | A group of musicians, actors, or dancers performing together. |
| Committee | A group of people appointed for a specific task or duty. |
8 more rowsFeb 5, 2024
There are several collective nouns for a group of turtles. These are: a bale of turtles, a dole of turtles, and a nest of turtles. While you might not think of turtles living in nests, female turtles do lay their eggs in a nest that is dug into the ground or in the sand.
What is a group of skunks called? ›
Groups of skunks are called a 'surfeit' - meaning an excessive amount of something - surely because the foul-smelling spray they release from their anal glands would be overpowering en masse.
What is a group of crabs called? ›
MyFWC. @MyFWC. Fun #fact: A group of crabs is called a cast.
What is a group of platypus? ›
Answer and Explanation: A group of platypuses is a called a paddle. The name comes from their paddle-shaped tails.
What is a collective of wombats called? ›
7. A group of wombats is called a 'wisdom of wombats' a 'mob of wombats' or a 'colony of wombats'. The name wombat comes from the Darug language, spoken by the Traditional Owners of Sydney.
What's a group of Quokkas called? ›
Now a group of Quokkas is officially called a Shakka.
What's a group of kookaburras called? ›
A collective noun for a group kookaburras is a riot, and we couldn't think of a more perfect title for the newsletter produced by some of our young people!
