Collective noun

A collective noun is a noun that refers to a group of entities which seems to be conceived of as a single entity because the noun is singular.

• "collective nouns are nouns lexically referring to a (denotational) multiplicity that — in some way or the other — is conceptualized as a unity" (Joosten et al. 2007:88)

See also

• collective noun (in English)

References

• Joosten, Frank et al. 2007. Dutch collective nouns and conceptual profiling. Linguistics 45.1. 85-132.
• Michaux, Christine. 1992. The collectives in French: a linguistic investigation. Lingvisticae Investigationes 16. 99-124.

Other languages

• French nom collectif
• German Kollektivum