A collective noun is a term used to describe a group of animals, people, or things, treating the collection as a single unit. These names reflect how different cultures have observed and characterized the natural world. While many animal groups have widely known collective names, such as a “flock” of birds or a “herd” of cattle, the term for a grouping of monkeys is varied.
The Primary Collective Nouns for Monkeys
The most widely accepted collective noun for a group of monkeys is a troop. This term is used across many species and reflects the highly social nature of monkeys, who live and move together in cohesive communities for foraging and protection. The word “troop” implies a sense of organized movement and community, which accurately describes the observed behavior of many monkey species in the wild.
Other collective terms are also used, sometimes colloquially or in specific contexts, such as a tribe of monkeys. The term “tribe” highlights the shared habitat and familial bonds often found within a monkey community. More whimsical or humorous terms also exist, including a barrel of monkeys or a cartload of monkeys. These playful phrases often emphasize the energetic, numerous, and sometimes chaotic nature of a large group of these primates.
The phrase “barrel of monkeys” suggests a lively, fun-filled setting, drawing on the animal’s reputation for playfulness. While “troop” is the generally preferred term, “barrel” and “cartload” are examples of the linguistic playfulness surrounding collective nouns.
Collective Nouns for Related Primates
While “troop” is common for monkeys, it is also used for related primate species like baboons and gorillas. Many other primate groups have distinct collective nouns. A group of apes, which includes gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans, is often referred to as a shrewdness.
Specific great ape groups have different names, such as a band or a whoop of gorillas. Chimpanzees are typically called a troop or a community, emphasizing their complex social structure and territorial behavior. Meanwhile, a group of lemurs, which are prosimians and not true monkeys, is named a conspiracy or a plot.
Baboons, which are Old World monkeys, can be called a congress or a flange. These varied terms, such as “shrewdness” for apes or “conspiracy” for lemurs, illustrate how observers sought to capture a perceived characteristic of the species in the group name. These distinct names help maintain the biological distinction between monkeys, apes, and other primates.
Why Different Names Exist
The existence of multiple collective nouns stems from the historical and linguistic origins of these terms. Many collective nouns, known as “terms of venery,” trace their roots back to medieval English hunting traditions, particularly the 15th century. These specialized vocabularies were often created for aristocratic education rather than practical communication.
The terms were frequently invented based on a perceived attribute, sound, or behavior of the animal, often with poetic license or humor. For example, a “murder” of crows or a “parliament” of owls reflects these imaginative associations.
Because these names were not standardized by science but evolved through folklore and hunting texts, variations and multiple options for the same animal group became common. This tradition of wordplay continues today, resulting in both widely accepted names, like “troop,” and more colorful, less-formal alternatives.