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Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 17:43:55 -0700
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From: Bill Bousman <[[email protected]]>
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Subject: [SBB] Heronries and Rookeries
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Folks:

The words heronry and rookery are well established English words for 
colonies of herons and rooks, respectively.  According to the OED, the use 
of heronry is a bit older and they have quotes from the early 1600s ("So 
hee or they shall not shoote in anye Gunne, within sixe hundreth paces of 
any Hernerie").  Rookery as a descriptive word appears more recent ("They 
are commonly Groves and tall Trees near Gentlemens Houses in the Country 
that make you Rookeries." 1725).  What is really quite interesting is that 
heronry has remained simply a place where herons nest, but the definition 
of rookery has evolved.  In particular, the English sailors applied rookery 
to other colonial species as they traveled the world.  The year 1832 
provides both a penguin rookery and a seal rookery.  However, earlier the 
word was applied to the cramped houses of the poor (1792) and later to 
prostitutes (1851).  Maybe the sailors are the cause of all these definitions!

As for now, the OED is clear that a colony of herons is a heronry, and it 
is not a rookery.  But words change and there is little we can do to stop 
it, so for those of you with a rebellious nature, keep calling our local 
heronries rookeries and someday the word might stick.

Bill

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