Masquer

Masquer is a French verb meaning to wear a mask or to disguise oneself, and by extension to conceal or misrepresent something. The primary senses cover literal masking as well as figurative concealment. Literally, one can masquer as someone else by wearing a mask, or simply masquer a face by wearing makeup or a disguise. Reflexively, se masquer means to disguise oneself or to go incognito. Figuratively, masquer can describe hiding emotions, motives, or information, as in masquer ses émotions, masquer ses intentions, or masquer des faits.

Etymology and forms are straightforward: masquer derives from the noun masque, with the standard French verb-forming suffix -er. The sense shift from “to wear a mask” to “to conceal or misrepresent” developed through metaphorical use. The related noun masquage refers to the act or process of masking, and the adjective masqué means masked or concealed.

Usage notes and examples: common transitive constructions include masquer quelque chose (to mask something) and masquer ses émotions (to hide one’s emotions) or masquer des faits (to obscure facts). The intransitive or pronominal form, se masquer, is used for self-disguise or going unnoticed. In French, masking is also a technical term in contexts such as data protection, where masquage refers to data masking to protect sensitive information.

In English, the verb masquer is rare and largely literary; the usual equivalents are to masquerade or to mask. The noun form masque appears in historical or theatrical contexts, while modern French prefers masquage for the act of masking.