Jewry
/ˈdʒuːəri/noun
The Jews collectively, or a Jewish community or district in historical usage.
Did you know?In medieval English, *Jewry* could mean both the Jewish people and the Jewish quarter of a town, reflecting how place-name and community were fused in historical usage.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
PS
*Yahūd-
“A form associated with Judah and the people of Judah”
Hebrew
Heb
Yehūdāh
“Judah, the name of one of the twelve tribes and an ancient kingdom”
Greek
Grk
Ioudaia
“Judea, the region associated with the Jewish people”
Latin
Lat
Iudaeus
“Jew; Judean”
Old French
OFr
Juerie
“Jewry; the Jewish people or Jewish community”
Middle English
ME
Jewerie
“The Jews collectively; a Jewish district or community”
Modern English
Eng
Jewry
“The Jews collectively, or a Jewish community or district in historical usage”