Etymology

Jewry

J8E1W4R1Y4

Today it means: Jewish people considered collectively. Full definition →

First used 14th c.Middle English Jewery ← Old French juerie
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The story

  1. Old French · derived fromjuerie
  2. Middle English · inherited fromJewery
  3. English todayJewry

From Middle English Jewery, from Old French juerie. By surface analysis, Jew + -ry.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 14th c. Jewish people considered collectively.
  • from 17th c. The quarter of a town or city inhabited either partially or exclusively by Jews; historically, its main buildings were the synagogue, the ritual bath or mikve, the kosher-oriented butchery and bakery, etc.
  • 16th c. Judaism.
  • 16th–17th c. The land of the Jews; Judea.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.