Collective Nouns

The Portuguese language has many collective nouns. Here are some examples:

Objects:

turma – gang, class, graduating class

comboio – fleet of trucks, ships, or trains

elenco – cast

acervo – collection (art, collectibles, etc)

baixela – tableware

bagagem – luggage

Animals:

alcateia = pack (of wolves, hyenas, wild dogs)

cáfila = caravan of camels

cardume = school of fish

enxame = swarm (of insects, like bees)

manada = herd of animals (including but not limited to elephants, cattle, donkeys, and horses)

matilha = pack of dogs

Nature:

cacho – bunch of bananas or grapes

arquipélago – islands (archipelago)  

cordilheira – mountains

feixe – kindling / wood for burning

flora – plants or vegetables (flora)

floresta / bosque – trees (forest)

miríade – stars

pomar – fruit trees (orchard)

ramalhete / buquê – bouquet of flower

The Russian language also has collective nouns. Some of them are used only in the singular:

Metals: железо – iron;  золото – gold;  серебро – silver, etc.

Liquids: вода – water;   вино – wine;   молоко – milk, etc.

Other substances: рис – rice;  сахар – sugar;  соль – salt, etc.

Collective nouns: бельё – linen;   мебель – furniture;   посуда – dishes (plates,  glasses, etc.);   крестьянство – peasantry;   аристократия – aristocracy;   артиллерия – artillery, etc.

Many abstract nouns: любовь – love;   ненависть – hatred;   радость – joy;   оптимизм – optimism;   вес – weight;   длина – length, etc.

Some of the nouns are used only in the plural:

(a) "Paired" nouns, or those which normally consist of two similar components:

брюки - trousers / оковы - chains, irons / весы - scales / очки - glasses, spectacles / ворота - gate / панталоны - trousers / колготки - tights / перила - handrail, banister / кавычки - quotation marks / подтяжки - suspenders

(b) Others currently used:

бега - races / обои - wallpaper / брызги - splash, spray, drops / переговоры - negotiations / будни - weekdays, workdays / потёмки - darkness

(c) Names of many mountain ranges and other geographical names:

Альпы – Alps; Анды – Andes; Карпаты – Carpathian Mountains; Пиренеи – Pyrenees; Афины – Athens; Дарданеллы – Dardanelles; Сиракузы – Syracuse; Сокольники – Sokolniki.