verzamelnomen

A verzamelnomen, often translated as a collective noun, is a word that refers to a group of things or beings as a single unit. These nouns can apply to people, animals, or inanimate objects. Examples of verzamelnomen for people include "team," "committee," and "choir." For animals, common examples are "flock" (of birds), "herd" (of cattle), and "school" (of fish). Inanimate objects can also be grouped using verzamelnomen, such as "stack" (of books), "bunch" (of keys), or "fleet" (of ships).

The grammatical treatment of verzamelnomen can sometimes be a point of confusion. In English, they are typically treated as singular nouns, taking singular verbs, as in "The team is playing well." However, in some contexts, particularly in British English, they can be treated as plural, especially when emphasizing the individual members within the group, as in "The team are arguing amongst themselves." This distinction often depends on whether the collective noun is seen as a single entity or as a collection of individuals. The use of verzamelnomen adds richness and specificity to language, allowing for concise descriptions of groups.