-ery
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English
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From Middle English -erie, from Anglo-Norman -erie, which is from -ier + -ie; a suffix forming abstract nouns.
The suffix first occurs in loans from Old French into Middle English, but becomes productive within English by the 16th century, in some instances properly a combination of the agent suffix -er with -y as in bakery, brewery, but also as a single suffix in terms like slavery, machinery (which are not derived from slaver or machiner). By surface analysis, -er + -y.
Pronunciation
[edit]Suffix
[edit]-ery
- Added to occupational etc. nouns to form other nouns meaning the "art, craft, or practice of."
- Added to verbs to form nouns meaning "place of" (an art, craft, or practice).
- Added to nouns to form other nouns meaning "a class, group, or collection of."
- Added to nouns to form other nouns meaning "behavior characteristic of."
- snob + -ery → snobbery
- tomfool + -ery → tomfoolery
Synonyms
[edit]Derived terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]art, craft or practice
place of art, craft or practice
|
class or group, collection of
characteristic of
See also
[edit]Anagrams
[edit]Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Anglo-Norman
- English terms suffixed with -er
- English terms suffixed with -y
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English suffixes
- English noun-forming suffixes