The complete 1486 list of collective nouns, from beasts to bishops.
The Book of St Albans Collective Nouns List
In 1486, a printer in St Albans published The Book of St. Albans, a guide to hawking, hunting, and heraldry credited to Dame Juliana Berners. Tucked inside is a list titled “The Compaynys of Beestys and Fowlys”: more than 160 collective nouns for animals, birds, and, more surprisingly, people and professions. This includes what is now known as The Book of St Albans Collective Nouns List.
This is the complete list, reconstructed from the original 1486 text and cross-referenced against the 1496 Wynkyn de Worde edition using John Hodgkin’s 1909 scholarly transcription (Proper Terms, Transactions of the Philological Society). Each term below traces directly back to the 1486 printing, in its original position in the book.
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People & Professions
More than half the list has nothing to do with animals. Medieval gentlemen apparently needed collective nouns for judges, nuns, drunkards, and cuckolds just as much as for deer and hawks.
| Modern English | Original Middle English (1486) |
|---|---|
| A herd of harlots | an Herde of harlottys |
| A bevy of ladies | a Beuy of Ladies |
| A congregation of people | a Congregacion of peple |
| A host of men | an hoost of men |
| A fellowship of yeomen | a ffelisħippyng of yomen |
| A rout of knights | a Route of Knyghtis |
| A nonpatience of wives | a Noonpaciens of wyues |
| A state of princes | a State of Prynces |
| A thought of barons | a Thongh of barons |
| A prudence of vicars | a Prudens of vikeris |
| A superfluity of nuns | a Suꝑfluyte of Nunnys |
| A school of clerks | a Scole of clerkes |
| A doctrine of doctors | a Doctryne of doctoris |
| A converting of preachers | a Conu̇tyng of prechouris |
| A sentence of judges | a Sentence of Iuges |
| A damning of jurors | a Dampnyng of Iurrouris |
| A diligence of messengers | a Diligens of Messangeris |
| An obedience of servants | an Obeisians of ẜuauntis |
| A suite (seat) of ushers | a Sete of vssheris |
| A draught of butlers | a Draught of boteleris |
| A proud showing of tailors | a Proude shewyng of taloris |
| A temperance of cooks | a Temꝑans of cokys |
| A stalk of foresters | a Stalke of fosteris |
| A boast of soldiers | a Boost of saudiouris |
| A laughter of hostlers | a Laughtre of Osteloris |
| A glozing (flattering) of tavern-keepers | a Glosyng of Tauerneris |
| A malapertness of peddlers | a Malepertnes of pedleres |
| A thrave of threshers | a Thraue of Throsheris |
| A squat of daubers | a squatte of Dawberis |
| A fighting of beggars | a Fightyng of beggers |
| An untruth of summoners | an vntrouth of sompneris |
| A melody of harpers | a Melody of Harpers |
| A poverty of pipers | A Pauuerty of pypers |
| A subtlety of sergeants | a sotelty of sergeauntis |
| A tabernacle of bakers | a Tabernacle of bakers |
| A drift of fishermen | a Drifte of fisħers |
| A disguising of tailors | a Disgysyng of Taylours |
| A bleche of cobblers * | a Bleche of sowteris |
| A smear of curriers | a Smere of Coryouris |
| A cluster of churls | a Clustre of chorlis |
| A rage of maidens | a Rage of Maydenys |
| A raffle of knaves | a Rafuƚƚ of Knauys |
| A blush of boys | a blusħ of boyes |
| An incredibility of cuckolds | an vncredibilite of Cocoldis |
| A skulk of thieves | a Skulke of Theuys |
| A gaggle of women | a Gagle of women |
| A multiplying of husbands | a Multiplieng of husbondis |
| A pontificality of prelates | a Pontificalite of prelatis |
| A dignity of canons | a Dignyte of chanonys |
| A charge of curates | a Charge of curatis |
| A discretion of priests | a Discrecion of Prestis |
| A skulk of friars | a Sculke of freris |
| An abominable sight of monks | a bhomynable sight of mōkis |
| An example of masters | a Example of Maisteris |
| An observance of hermits | an Obẜuans of herimytis |
| An eloquence of lawyers | an Eloquens of laweyeris |
| An execution of officers | an Execucion of Officerys |
| A faith of merchants | a faith of Marchandis |
| A provision of stewards of the household | a ꝓuision of stewardꝭ of hous |
| A kerf of pantrymen | a Kerff of Panteris |
| A credence of sewers (servers) | a Credens of Seweris |
| An unbraving of carvers | an vnbrewyng of Kerueris |
| A safeguard of porters | a Safegarde of Porteris |
| A blast of hunters | a Blast of hunteris |
| A threatening of courtiers | a Thretenyng of courteyeris |
| A promise of tapsters | a Promyse of Tapsteris |
| A lying of pardoners | a Lyeng of pardeneris |
| A misbelief of painters | a Misbeleue of paynteris |
| A lash of carters | a Lasħ of Carteris |
| A scolding of kempsters (wool-combers) | a Scoldyng of Kemsteris |
| A wondering of tinkers | a wonderyng of Tynkeris |
| A waywardness of haywards | a waywardnes of haywardis |
| A worship of writers | a worship of writeris |
| A never-thriving of jugglers | a Neu̇thriuyng of Iogoleris |
| A franchise of millers | a ffraunch of Mylneris |
| A feast of brewers | a Festre of Brewris |
| A goring of butchers | a Goryng of Bochouris |
| A trinket of cordwainers (shoemakers) | a Trynket of Corueseris |
| A plock of shoe-turners | a Plocke of Shoturneris |
| A drunkenship of cobblers | a Dronkship of Coblers |
| A rascal of boys | a Rascaƚƚ of Boyes |
| A disworship of Scots | a Disworship of Scottis |
Beasts
| Modern English | Original Middle English (1486) |
|---|---|
| A herd of harts | AN Herde of Hertis |
| A herd of all manner of deer | an herde of aƚƚ maṅ dere |
| A bevy of roes | a Beuy of Roos |
| A pride of lions | a Pride of Lionys |
| A sleuth (sloth) of bears | a Sleuth of Beeris |
| A cete of badgers | a Cete of Graies |
| A bury of conies (rabbits) | a Bery of Conyis |
| A richness of martens | a Riches of Martronys |
| A business of ferrets | a Besynes of ferettis |
| A brace of greyhounds (of two) | a Brace of grehoundis of ij |
| A leash of greyhounds (of three) | a Lece of Grehoundis of .iij |
| A couple of spaniels | a Coupuƚƚ of spaynellis |
| A couple of running hounds | a Couple of rennyng houndis |
| A litter of whelps | a Litter of welpis |
| A kindle of young cats (kittens) | a Kyndyƚƚ of yong Cattis |
| A singular of boars | a Synguler of Boris |
| A drift of tame swine | a Dryft of tame Swyne |
| A harras of horses | an Harrasse of horse |
| A rag (or rake) of colts | a Ragg of coltis or a Rake |
| A barren of mules | a Baren of Mulis |
| A trip of goats | a Trippe of Gete |
| A trip of hares | a Trippe of haaris |
| A rout of wolves | a Route of woluess |
| A leap of leopards | a Lepe of Lebardis |
| A shrewdness of apes | a Shrewdenes of Apis |
| A skulk of foxes | a skulke of ffoxis |
| A nest of rabbits | a Nest of Rabettis |
| A labour of moles | a Labor of Mollis |
| A mute of hounds | a Mute of houndes |
| A kennel of raches (hunting hounds) | a Keneƚƚ of Rachis |
| A suit of a leash-hound | a Sute of a lyam |
| A cowardice of curs | a Cowardnes of curris |
| A sounder of wild swine | a Soundre of wilde swyne |
| A stud of mares | a Stode of Maris |
| A pace of asses | a Pase of Assis |
| A drove of cattle | a Droue of Nete |
| A flock of sheep | a fflocke of Shepe |
| A skulk of foxes † | a Sculke of foxis |
Birds
| Modern English | Original Middle English (1486) |
|---|---|
| A herd of swans | an Herde of Swannys |
| A herd of cranes | an Herde of Cranys |
| A herd of curlews | an Herde of Corlewys |
| A herd of wrens | an Herde of wrennys |
| A nye (nide) of pheasants | a Nye of ffesaunttys |
| A bevy of quails | a Beuy of Quaylis |
| A sedge (siege) of herons | a Sege of heronnys |
| A sedge (siege) of bitterns | a Sege of betouris |
| A sord or suit of mallards | a Sorde or a sute of malardis |
| A muster of peacocks | a Mustre of Pecockys |
| A walk of snipe | a walke of Snytis |
| An exalting of larks | an Exaltyng of Larkis |
| A watch of nightingales | a wache of Nyghtingalis |
| A charm of goldfinches | a Cherme of Goldefynches |
| A flight of doves | a fflight of Doues |
| An unkindness of ravens | an vnkyndenes of Rauenes |
| A clattering of choughs | a Clateryng of choughes |
| A dissimulation of birds | a Dissimulacion of breddis |
| A gaggle of geese | a Gagle of gees |
| A brood of hens | a Brode of hennys |
| A badling of ducks | a badelyng of Dokis |
| A covey of partridges | a Couy of partrichis |
| A spring of teal | a Sprynge of Telis |
| A desert of lapwings | a Desserte of Lapwyngꝭ |
| A fall of woodcocks | a faƚƚ of woodecockis |
| A congregation of plovers | a Congregacion of Pleuers |
| A covert of coots | a Couert of cootis |
| A dule of turtledoves | a Dueƚƚ of Turtillis |
| A tidings of magpies | a Titengis of Pies |
| A host of sparrows | an Ost of sparowis |
| A cast of hawks of the tower (of two) | a cast of haukis of y^e tour .ij |
| A leash of the same hawks (of three) | a Lece of thessame haukis .iij |
| A flight of goshawks | a Flight of Goshaukes |
| A plight of swallows | a Flight of swalowes |
| A building of rooks | a beldyng of Rookes |
| A murmuration of starlings | a Murmuracion of stares |
| A peep of chickens | a Pepe of chykennys |
Sundries
A handful of terms in the list aren’t for living things at all.
| Modern English | Original Middle English (1486) |
|---|---|
| A cast of bread | a Cast of Brede |
| A couple or pair of bottles | a Couple or a payer of botillis |
| A cluster of grapes | a Clustre of Grapys |
| A swarm of bees | a Swarme of bees |
| A school of fish | a Scoƚƚ of ffysħ |
| A cluster of nuts | a Clustre of Nottis |
| A rage of the teeth | a Rage of the teethe |
A Note on Accuracy
This list was rebuilt directly from the original 1486 printed text (via a professionally proofread public-domain transcription), not copied from secondary compilations. Two things worth flagging:
- † Foxes get “a skulk of” twice — once early in the list and again near the end, in slightly different spelling (“ffoxis” vs. “foxis”). This is a genuine repetition in the original 1486 text, not a transcription error.
- * “A bleche of sowters” (cobblers) — the translation of bleche is inferred from context and etymology rather than directly confirmed.
Sources
- The Book of St. Albans (1486), attributed to Dame Juliana Berners
- John Hodgkin, Proper Terms: An attempt at a rational explanation of the meanings of the Collection of Phrases in “The Book of St Albans,” 1486…, Transactions of the Philological Society, 1907–1910