Morada

[DailyWord]

This is a discussion thread for the Daily Spanish Word for September 11, 2009

morada (feminine noun (la)) — dwelling. Look up morada in the dictionary

La morada tiene paredes de piedra y techo de madera.
The dwelling has stone walls and a wooden roof.

[poli]

I always have known this word to mean purple. I makes sense though, because I know that morador means dweller.

[Homero]

In the feminine singular, "morada" is in fact an adjective that describes a noun as being of the color "purple" (from the noun "mora", the fruit of the mulberry, which is a dark purplish color).

As a noun, however, it is an abode or dwelling. Is comes from the verb "morar," which means "vivir," to live or to dwell. The verb "morar" is much more familiar to Portuguese speakers, and it is related to the French "demeurer" (literally, "demorar", to delay, hold up, take a long time--something like someone who "lives" in the bathroom--perhaps blowdrying and fixing up one's hair), which also means "morar" or "vivir" (in a place, for example) in French. (I guess that, to the French, if you hang around long enough in one place, you live or dwell in that place.)

[laepelba]

Wow, Homero. I like your etymological explanation. Keep them coming!

[María José]

If I say 'Me he puesto morada', what do I mean?

[CrOtALiTo]

That you aren't get enough oxygen in your hart.

I believe in a literal translation of the you said.


I get purple.?

La morada tiene paredes de piedra y techo de madera.

What does it mean?

Really I don't make sense in Spanish.

Que se puso morada.

[poli]

My guess (no google investibations here) is to get angry or emotional. Am
I close?

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by María José

If I say 'Me he puesto morada', what do I mean?

You've done something to excess.

[laepelba]

In the RAE, there are several interesting points when you pull up "morada".

The first thing I notice is that the "dwelling" definitions for "morada" precede the "purple" definition. In an English dictionary, the first definitions are often the more common usages. Is this the case for the RAE? Is "morada" as "dwelling" more common than "morada" as "purple"?

Second, I LOVE the very first definition: "Estancia de asiento o residencia algo continuada en un lugar." This uses the word of the day from a couple of days ago, "estancia". So, could I use "morada" like this: "A la hora del almuerzo, mi morada en la mesa me causó llegar tarde a clase." (??)

Finally, I also like several of the additional uses of "morada" that they have listed there. Especially "pasarlas moradas": "Encontrarse en una situación difícil, dolorosa o comprometida." So, again, could I say something like this: "Cuando estaba en Nairobi, tenía que caminar a la hotel después del anochecer. ¡Me pasé morada!" (Is the usage right? How would I conjugate that, as I am almost 100% certain that I did so incorrectly....??)

THANKS!!

[María José]

Laepelba, se diría las pasé moradas (painful situation)