mur French · revision 16429

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 10th century, Passion de Clermont|origins=la mūrus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /myʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''mur''' ''m'' (plural murs)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|mūrus|t=wall, especially of a city]], in Old Latin “moerus”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|6/3, 241a)^(Wiktionary)^(Littré 1873) The Latin word was distinct from [[m|la|moenia|t=ramparts]] and, from [[m|la|pariēs|t=wall of a house]] (see [[paroi]]).^(DHLF 1992) It is usually connected with “pōmērium”, the sacred strip along the walls of Rome, though the form raises difficulties; it replaced the Indo-European word seen in [[grc|τεῖχος|tr=teîkhos|t=wall]].^(DHLF 1992) Wiktionary traces it to a root “*mey-” “to strengthen”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|muro]], [[oc|mur]], [[es|muro]] and [[pt|muro]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found at the end of the 10th century in the ''Passion'' of Clermont, in the plural, for the walls of Jerusalem: ''en tos belz murs, en tas maisons pedra ssubr altre non laiseront'' (“in your fine walls, in your houses, they will not leave stone upon stone”).^(TLFi)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word first named the fortified wall around a town, and by metonymy the town itself, as in ''defors li mur'' “outside the walls” (about 1200), later rivalled by Latin ''extra muros'' and ''intra muros''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) From the ''Chanson de Roland'' it was also used of the walls of a house (about 1100) and a castle (early 12th century), and figuratively of protection (Chrétien de Troyes, 1176–1181).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Modern uses include ''le mur du son'' “the sound barrier”, ''faire le mur'' “to slip out without leave” and ''mettre au pied du mur'' “to leave no way out”.^(Grand Robert 2005) Derivatives include [[muraille]] (about 1200), [[murer]] (12th century) and [[emmurer]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 10th century – The walls of Jerusalem, in the ''Passion'' of Clermont.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – The walls of a dwelling, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 12th century – ''Murer'', in Chrétien de Troyes.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * c. 1200 – ''Defors li mur'' “outside the town”, ''muraille''.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1461 – ''Avant-mur''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|wall]]: ''un mur de pierre'', ''les murs de la ville''.^(Wiktionary)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A barrier, obstacle: ''un mur de glace'', ''le mur du son''.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ # ''Faire le mur'': to go out without permission, ''mettre au pied du mur'': to corner.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ # ''Dans nos murs'': in our town.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[muraille]]

+ * [[murer]]

+ * [[démurer]]

+ * [[emmurer]]

+ * [[avant-mur]]

+ * [[muret]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[paroi]]

+ * [[la|mūrus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}