Why elements of nitrogen family called as pnictogens?
The Nitrogen group is Group 15 of the periodic table (formerly numbered as Group V or Group VA) and is also collectively named the pnicogens or pnictogens. The word pnictogens is derived from the Greek word "pnigein", which means "to choke or stifle", which is a property of nitrogen. Choking means a person having a severe difficulty in breathing because of a constricted or obstructed throat or a lack of air. They are also mnemonic for the two most common members, P and N.