Where did the word “monkey” originate from? Adam is supposed to have named all the animals while he was in the Garden of Eden, but there is some speculation about how the monkey got its name. Moneke is the name of the son of Martin the Ape in a medieval animal story. That is one theory. It could also be related to manikin that comes from the Dutch word manneken which means “little man”.
pygmy marmoset, wikipedia
Random Facts About Monkeys
There are a lot of monkeys in this world. Currently, 264 species are known. The monkeys that live in Africa and Asia are Old World monkeys, and the monkeys that live in South America are New World monkeys.
Apes are not monkeys and are in their own group. Monkeys have tails. Apes do not have tails.
Some monkeys make their home on the ground, while others reside in trees.
The pygmy marmoset is the smallest type of monkey. The adults only weigh between 120 and 140 grams.
Mandrill, wikipedia
The largest monkey is the mandrill. Adults weigh up to 35 kg.
When I think of monkeys in the jungle, I always think of them swinging by their arms from tree to tree. Not all monkeys do this though. Spider monkeys do this, and apes do this. The majority of monkeys simply run across the branches.
Besides talking to each other with vocalizations, monkeys also communicate with their facial expressions and body movements.
howler monkey, wikipedia
If a monkey grins at you or pulls his lip, you might want to head the other direction. These are signs of aggression. Yawning, head bobbing, and jerking the head and shoulders forward are other signs that you are about to be attacked.
How do monkeys express affection and make peace? They groom each other.
Monkeys live in many different places.: trees, grasslands, mountains, forests, and on high plains.
Monkeys peel their bananas before eating them and do not eat the peels.
The howler monkey is the loudest monkey. I wonder how this one got its name. If you are a hundred miles away when one screams, you can still hear it.
Monkeys don’t really like to be in the water, yet they are great swimmers.
The little spider monkey has a very strong tail. It can support the entire weight of its body with just the tip of it.
In India, monkeys are worshipped. The Indians believe that the monkey is the fleshly representation of the god Hanuman.
Monkeys do not catch colds. I wonder what their secret is.
a barrel of monkeys, flickr
Collective Nouns
a barrel of monkeys – When I was a little girl, I remember playing with a barrel of monkeys. The game, of course, was played with a bunch of plastic monkeys that came in a barrel. The object of the game was to see who could link the most monkeys together in the shortest amount of time. When you say that an activity is as fun as a barrel of monkeys, it is something you would really enjoy doing. This is the collective noun that always comes to mind when I think of monkeys.
a cartload of monkeys – This one makes me think of a cartload of monkeys being lead in a wagon or cart around the circus ring. And there is a saying that goes with this: as clever as a cartload of monkeys.
a machination of monkeys, wikipedia
a machination of monkeys – A machination is a crafty scheme or plot. Can you see a group of monkeys plotting together to prank someone?
a mission of monkeys – For this one, I see a group of monkeys set out on a mission. Is their mission good or bad?
a tribe of monkeys – Can you see a tribe of monkeys doing a war dance while dressed as Indians?
a troop of monkeys – A troop can be a group of soldiers or policeman. Can your imagination put a troop of monkeys in one of these roles?
a wilderness of monkeys – Monkeys do belong in the wilderness, not in a zoo or circus.
Fear of Monkeys
I found three different names for monkey phobias: charisdnatphobia, maimouphobia, or pithikosophobia. Aviophobia is the fear of flying. Therefore, a fear of flying monkeys would be charisdnaviophobia, maimoaviophobia or pithikosaviophobia.
Would a person with charisdnaviophobia be afraid of monkeys that couldn’t fly? Would this person also be afraid of flying without any monkeys? Your guess is as good as mine.
There really aren’t any flying monkeys, so we can most likely thank The Wizard of Oz and its flying monkeys for this fear. I never had nightmares about it, but I’m sure there are children that do.
girl writing, etc.usf.edu
Writing Prompts
Pick one of the collective nouns for monkeys. Write a story about the reason this became one of the collective nouns.
Write about a world where flying monkeys really do exist. Maybe they are the rulers. Maybe they are a species that is fighting for survival. Maybe they have been hunted almost to extinction. Or maybe they are the most popular animals to own as pets.
Write about a monkey that lost his tail. What sort of mental and social problems does this cause?
Write about a group of monkeys that take advantage of being worshipped.
Write about a monkey who goes against the flow. He actually eats the peels on his bananas.
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