Murmuration: a beautiful word

I have long been fascinated by beautiful words. Here is one I would like to offer today.

Murmuration
(noun)

The act of murmuring or grumbling.

A large group of birds moving together in synchronised motion, most often used to describe flocks of starlings.

Here, in this short Instagram post by Zach Bush MD, you’ll see beautiful filmography and descriptions.

Why beautiful?

Its meaning involves collective motion in a natural and unforced way.

It sounds like what it describes. The symbolism of murmuring is carried in the sound itself.

The repetition of m and r creates softness.

The word has a rolling articulation and a visual pattern or rhythm.

Etymology

I include this because there is something meaningful in the background and history. The stories carried across generations. Cultural development over time. Much like with humans.

The word murmuration comes from Latin via French. It stems from murmuratio, meaning murmuring or grumbling, and ultimately from murmurare, to mutter. It is related to low, continuous sounds, such as those made by wind or water. The word entered English in the late fourteenth century to describe indistinct, low noise, and was later applied to the sound and collective movement of starling flocks. Perhaps the birds looked like a subtle murmur had started a collective movement that appears soft and flowing to our human eyes. I am not sure that’s how it feels to each individual bird, but maybe.

Zach Bush on Instagram: "The murmuration of birds is one of my …