montar

Montar is a verb found in Spanish and Portuguese with several closely related senses that center on putting together, rising onto, or setting up something. The etymology traces to Latin montāre, linked to the idea of mounting or ascending onto a support or stage.

In both languages, the core meanings include assembling or constructing something from parts, such as montar un mueble or montar uma estante (to assemble furniture). It also covers getting onto or onto and riding, for example montar a caballo or montar en una bicicleta (to ride a horse or a bike). Another common sense is to set up, organize, or stage something, as in montar un espectáculo, montar una empresa, or montar una operación (to stage a show, to found a company, to mount an operation). The verb can also express standing guard or taking up a position, such as montar guardia.

In technical contexts, montar can mean to mount or attach something to a base or to mount a filesystem, as in mounting a disk or file system in a computer system. The related noun montaje refers to assembly or montage, depending on the context, while montura denotes the equipment used for riding, such as a saddle or mount.

In Portuguese and Spanish, many senses overlap, but regional usage varies. Common examples include montar un mueble (to assemble furniture), montar a caballo (to ride a horse), montar un espectáculo or montar una empresa (to stage or set up), and montar un sistema (to mount a system).

See also: montaje, montura, montar a caballo, mounting.