Page 1 of 1
What do you call a group of cows?
Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 9:11 pm
by LISA
Our Sons English Homework this week was to name the collective nouns for differant animals. One of the animal groups was cows (we were confident the collective noun would be a herd) However it turns out the collective noun for a group of cows is a Kine. A group of Bullocks is a Drove.
Good to know for furure pub Quizzes.
I'm sure several differant answers will come forward for differant interpretations of the word "cow"!
(Waiting for your answer Duncan!)
Re: What do you call a group of cows?
Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 9:29 pm
by Duncan MacIntyre
I'll try not to keep you waiting too long Lisa - Highland cattle have "folds" so we would have the "Burnside Fold" or the "Needles Hall Fold"
Duncan
Re: What do you call a group of cows?
Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 9:45 pm
by Duncan MacIntyre
I suspect the"fold" term is probably a bit of Victorian affectation from the days of developement of the Highland breed in the 1800s but might be wrong in that.
An old Scots term for cows is Kye - same origin I would think as Kine. As in the song "When the kye come hame" by James Hogg, 1770-1835, generally known as The Ettrick Shepherd.
Re: What do you call a group of cows?
Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 10:53 pm
by PorcPrunus NL
In the Netherlands we call a group of cows a " KUDDE "
I don't know if it has to do something with KYE, but it starts and ends with the same letter.
Famous is the word "KUDDE GEDRAG" what means "catle behaviour". It's said when everyone walks the same direction because everyone does.
a more generous name for a group of cows is "KOPPEL"
but that kan also be horses, piglets or goose