'apery' originates from French, specifically the word 'aperie', where the root 'aper-' meant 'to ape, to imitate'.

'apery' entered English from Middle French 'aperie' (late Middle Ages/early modern period) and became established in English by the late 16th century as 'apery'.

Initially it meant 'the action of aping or imitation', and over time it has retained that core sense of 'imitation, mimicry' (sometimes with a derogatory nuance).