The building blocks of English
Affixes
-urgy
Also ‑urge.
The art or process for working with something.
Greek ‑ourgia, working.
This ending appears in a small set of words derived from Greek, but is not active in the language. Examples include metallurgy (Greek metallon, metal), the branch of science and technology concerned with the production and purification of metals; dramaturgy, the theory and practice of dramatic composition; liturgy (Greek lēitos, public), a form by which public religious worship is conducted; thaumaturgy (Greek thauma, marvel), the working of wonders and performing of miracles; zymurgy (Greek zumē, leaven), the study or practice of fermentation in brewing and associated fields. A person engaged in the activity is sometimes indicated by ‑urge: dramaturge, thaumaturge.
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