murare

Murare is an Italian verb meaning to wall up or seal off an opening by constructing a wall, usually with bricks, stone, or concrete. It is a transitive verb and is typically used with a direct object such as a window, door, vault, or passage. The action can occur in construction, renovation, fortification, or the adaptation of interior spaces. Historically, murare was used to close off spaces for security, privacy, or structural reasons, such as blocking a doorway or sealing a cell.

Etymology and related terms: Murare is derived from muro, meaning wall, which itself comes from the Latin murus. Related nouns and professions include muratura (masonry) and muratore (bricklayer). The past participle is murato, and it is used in compound tenses with the auxiliary avere.

Usage and forms: Present indicative forms include io muro, tu mura, lui/lei mura, noi muramo, voi murate, loro murano. The past participle murato yields phrases like ho murato, hai murato, ha murato, abbiamo murato, avete murato, hanno murato. The adjective murato describes something that has been walled in.

Examples of usage: Murare una finestra means to seal a window; murare una porta means to brick up a door; una cella murata describes a cell that has been walled in. In architectural and historical contexts, murare distinguishes the act of creating a boundary with a wall from removing or altering openings.

See also: muratura, muratore, murato.