Language forms how we think. There are words to express the groupings of animals. But what about a verb for the action groups take? I suppose there’s a swarm of bees. The verb here describes a relocation action, where a hive becomes overcrowded and the collective of yellow insects moves in unison to a new abode.
I’m thinking of words for gestures of goodwill. Like, he spent his time goodwilling in his retirement. Or actions that contribute to the operations of a K-12 school. Like, some of them did the PTAing and others did the fieldtripping. Or what about the amateur antiquity seekers– Are they public-heritaging?
You might say, why does it matter? Why is it necessary to describe what a group does, instead of the sum of what individuals do?
You’ll note that the collective bird names bear little resemblance to the actual birds. Because one bird can come and go. It occupies a considerable amount of space and moves in a specific manner. But a group of birds exists whether one of its members comes or goes. A group of birds may move in a patterned flight. A group of birds is a vastly different thing than fifty individual birds added together.
Groups have an identity and a role all their own. Their actions deserve words.
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