• Agrivar@lemmy.world
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    20 hours ago

    Why would you besmirch cats and crows that way? The collective noun should be something vaguely derogatory, like “heap” or “clump.”

    • Javi@feddit.uk
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      20 hours ago

      Not so much to do with the current designation of clowder, but rather I was inspired by the origin of the word.

      A variation, recorded since 1801, of clutter, itself from clot, from Old English clott (“round mass, lump”), from Proto-Germanic *klūtaz (hence cognate with Dutch kloot (“ball, testicle”), Danish klods (“a block, lump”) and German Klotz (“lump, block”)).

      As for murder, I think labelling them with their intent is simply a good idea.

      I’ve nothing against crows or cats, but the person who coined their respective collective nouns probably did.