-ery

• -erie (“place”) (otherwise obsolete)
• -ry

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.

• IPA^(key): /əɹi/

-ery

1. Added to occupational etc. nouns to form other nouns meaning the "art, craft, or practice of."

   ‎midwife + ‎-ery → ‎midwifery

   ‎cook + ‎-ery → ‎cookery

2. Added to verbs to form nouns meaning "place of" (an art, craft, or practice).

   ‎bake + ‎-ery → ‎bakery

   ‎distill + ‎-ery → ‎distillery

   ‎join + ‎-ery → ‎joinery

3. Added to nouns to form other nouns meaning "a class, group, or collection of."

   ‎crock + ‎-ery → ‎crockery

   ‎hose + ‎-ery → ‎hosiery

   ‎shrub + ‎-ery → ‎shrubbery

4. Added to nouns to form other nouns meaning "behavior characteristic of."

   ‎snob + ‎-ery → ‎snobbery

   ‎tomfool + ‎-ery → ‎tomfoolery

• (place of): -ing (activity)
• (collection): -age, -ing

• Category:English terms suffixed with -ry

• -yer, Rey, Rye, Yer, eyr, rye, yer, yre