# lock (a door)



## Gavril

In English, the verb *to lock *refers to any action whereby a door, gate, lid, etc. is secured so that it can only be opened with a key of some kind.

Not every language seems to have a "catch-all" verb like _lock_: e.g.,in Spanish, you have to specify how you're locking something: *cerrar con llave *(literally, "to close with a key"), _cerrar con *pestillo* _(latch), _cerrar con *candado* _(padlock), etc.

Modern Finnish uses the verb *lukita* "to lock", from the same source as English _lock_; however, apart from this word, Finnish only has (as far as I know) the more specific verbs *teljetä *or* salvata *"to lock with a bar or bolt", or the more general verb *sulkea *"to close", which leaves it ambiguous (without further context) whether you need a key to open something or not.

Does your language have a single term for "locking", or do you have many terms for different methods of locking?


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## learnerr

In Russian there are two verbs, "запереть" ("to lock") and "закрыть" ("to close"); the first is used when you have what you think is a good reason to be specific. Both verbs optionally can be accompanied by a word combination of the kind «на» + <accusative noun>, that would mean the mode of locking; both verbs can take in the accusative the door (the gate, etc), the place that you lock, or specific targets that you lock inside (people, things, etc).


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## DearPrudence

In *French*, supposedly:
"*verrouiller*" (< "un verrou" = _a lock_)

But more commonly: "*fermer à clé*" (_close with a key_)

But there are at least 3 regional verbs for this:
"*crouiller*" (~ Mayenne) (a region that is close to mine but I would never have been able to see what it means)
"*claver*" (supposedly Normandy!  Never heard it)
"*barrer*" (~ _close with a bar_)
"*clancher*"


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## bibax

Czech:

*zamknouti* (perf.), *zamykati* (impf.) = to lock;
*odemknouti* (perf.), *odemykati* (impf.) = to unlock;

It is not necessary to be more specific (there is another verb meaning 'to close'):
zamknout klíčem (= to lock with a key) - *redundant*;
zamknout svým vlastním klíčem = to lock with one's own key;
zamknout na jeden západ/dva západy = to lock with one turn/two turns;

*zámek* (derived noun) = a lock; it means also _château_ (similarly das Schloß in German);

The root *mk-, mek-, myk-* generally means "to cause change of a state by a swift movement".

vy*mk*nout si kotník = to twist/sprain one's ankle;
s*mek*nout (klobouk) = to take one's hat off;
s*myk* = skid, slide;
*myk*aná příze = carded yarn;


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## arielipi

Hebrew has more than one, but in most cases there is a general verb for a group of verbs.
לנעול lin'ol = to lock
לסגור lisgor = to close, but also though low level to lock
להבריח lehavri'akh = to lock (somewhat old)


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## apmoy70

Hi Gavril, Greek has a single word for locking regardless of the device used and the kind of door (small door, big door, gate) secured:

To lock, lock up: *«Κλειδώνω»* [kli'ðono] < Classical Gr. v. *«κλειδόω/κλειδῶ» kleidóō (uncontracted) / kleidô (contracted)* --> _to lock, lock up, fasten securely with a bar_ < Classical 3rd declension fem. noun *«κλείς» kleís* --> _bar, bolt, hook, pin, key (traditional instruments used for locking doors), collar-bone_ (PIE *kleh₂u- , _to lock_ cf Lat. clāvus, _nail, pin_, clāvis, _key, block_ > It. chiave, Sp. clave/llave, Fr.  clé/clef, Por. chave, Rom. cheie; OCS ключъ > Rus. ключ).

In Modern Greek, key is *«κλειδί»* [kli'ði] (neut.) < Byz. Gr. neuter diminutive *«κλειδίον» kleidíon* of Class. fem. *«κλείς» kleís*. The lock/pin lock is *«κλειδαριά»* [kliða'rʝa] (fem.) < *«κλείς» kleís* + Class. masc. noun *«ἁρμός» hārmós* --> _joint_ (PIE *h₂(e)r-smo-, _joint_), or, *«κλειδωνιά»* [kliðo'ɲa] (fem.) < Modern v. *«κλειδώνω»* [kli'ðono] (in Classical Greek lock was described by the neut. noun *«κλεῖθρον» kleîtʰrŏn*). 
Also in firearms, the gun's bolt is *«κλείστρο»* ['klistro] (neut.) < Classical neut. noun *«κλεῖστρον» kleîstrŏn* --> _any locking mechanism_.

 Even the verb for closing, shutting, blocking, turning off, *«κλείνω»* ['klino] < Classical v. *«κλείω» kleíō*, is cognate.


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## Gavril

Slovene has _zaklepati _(imperfect) _/ zakleniti _(perf.) "to lock". At least the first seems to be cognate with Russian _клепать_ "to rivet". 

It's interesting that Russian _запереть _"lock" seems to be cognate with Slov. _zapirati _"to close"; Russ. _закрыть_ may be related to Slov. _zakrivati_ (perfective _zakriti_) "to block, obstruct".


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## ThomasK

Dutch: mainly *sluiten *(also part of besluiten, conclude). 

Then you can mention *met een sleutel *(with a key), _*een grendel *_(bolt) [_vergrendelen_, but meaning to block, rather than to lock, I'd say...]

By the way: there is also *dichtdoen*, to close (doors, windows), without realy locking them...


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## ancalimon

In Turkish:

kilitle : to lock (usually using a key)
sürgüle: to lock (using a bolt)

The word kilit is probably onomatopoeic and similar among many different languages.


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## swintok

DearPrudence said:


> In *French*, supposedly:
> "*verrouiller*" (< "un verrou" = _a lock_)
> 
> But more commonly: "*fermer à clé*" (_close with a key_)
> 
> But there are at least 3 regional verbs for this:
> "*crouiller*" (~ Mayenne) (a region that is close to mine but I would never have been able to see what it means)
> "*claver*" (supposedly Normandy!  Never heard it)
> "*barrer*" (~ _close with a bar_)
> "*clancher*"



In Québec _barrer _is frequently used in conversation in a general sense for "locked" (e.g., _La porte est barrée. As-tu barré le char ?_), but in writing _fermer à clé_ is considered more correct.


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## merquiades

DearPrudence said:


> In *French*, supposedly:
> "*verrouiller*" (< "un verrou" = _a lock_)
> 
> But more commonly: "*fermer à clé*" (_close with a key_)
> 
> But there are at least 3 regional verbs for this:
> "*crouiller*" (~ Mayenne) (a region that is close to mine but I would never have been able to see what it means)
> "*claver*" (supposedly Normandy!  Never heard it)
> "*barrer*" (~ _close with a bar_)
> "*clancher*"



_Clencher_ is used in the East all the time, but I think it is with "en" not "an".


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## ger4

ThomasK said:


> Dutch: mainly *sluiten *(also part of besluiten, conclude).
> 
> Then you can mention *met een sleutel *(with a key), _*een grendel *_(bolt) [_vergrendelen_, but meaning to block, rather than to lock, I'd say...]
> 
> By the way: there is also *dichtdoen*, to close (doors, windows), without realy locking them...



Similar in North German: "dicht machen" = "to close (a door)/ to close (a shop, for instance, just for the day, or forevever, i.e. 'to close down')"

Standard German: "zumachen" = "schließen" = "to close (as in North German, no distinction between 'to close' and 'to close down')"

"to lock (a door, with a key)": "abschließen" or "verschließen"

There is also the verb "beschließen" which means "decide" or "conclude", similar to Dutch ("besluiten")


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## ger4

Danish "lukke" = "to close", not "to lock"
Danish "laase" = "to lock", not "to close"
Did I get it right?


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## 810senior

In Japanese,

close the door = ドアを閉める(doa wo simeru), ドアを閉じる(doa wo tojiru),
doa wo=a door(acc.) simeru/tojiru=to close up

lock the door =
ドアに鍵をかける(doa ni kagi wo kakeru) lit.*to hang up a key on the door*.
ドアに施錠する(doa ni sezyou suru) lit.*to do locking-up to the door.*


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## ger4

Holger2014 said:


> Danish:
> _lukke_ - 'to close', 'to shut' (in some contexts also 'to lock', but rarely)
> _låse_* - 'to lock' (with a key, for instance)


This should be more accurate. 

* I replaced aa with å this time [aa is an old spelling but sometimes used today as well to avoid the letter å]


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## Outsider

In Portuguese to lock is "fechar à chave" or "trancar" (there's also a less frequent cognate of the French verb, "aferrolhar", but this would normally be used for mechanical locks only). To close/shut is "fechar".


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## marco_2

In Polish _to close the door _is *zamknąć drzwi*, _to lock the door _- *zamknąć drzwi na klucz *(= to close with a key), but in some parts of Poland, which were under Prussian rule before WW 1 they invented the verb *zakluczyć *(= to lock; definitely from German: _abschließen_) as well as *odkluczyć *(= to unlock), though they sound strange for the other Poles.


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## 涼宮

Outsider said:


> In Portuguese to lock is "fechar à chave" or "trancar" (there's also a less frequent cognate of the French verb, "aferrolhar", but this would normally be used for mechanical locks only). To close/shut is "fechar".



Trancar is very commonly used in Venezuela besides the ones mentioned by Gavril. As a matter of fact, trancar works as a multi use verb here, tranca la puerta (door), tranca la ventana (window), tranca el teléfono (hang up the phone), tranca el gas/agua/cocina/llave (gas, water, kitchen, key*), it's basically to say close/shut/lock. 

*You have a lever somewhere in your house or in some room at your floor if you live in an apartment that allows the passage of gas and water to your house, your kitchen has also this lever to stop the kitchen from receiving gas if you pull this lever.


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## Encolpius

*Hungarian *--- to close the door = becsukja az ajtót; to lock the door = bezárja az ajtót [ajtót door]


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## Outsider

涼宮 said:


> [...] trancar works as a multi use verb here, tranca la puerta (door), tranca la ventana (window), tranca el teléfono (hang up the phone), tranca el gas/agua/cocina/llave (gas, water, kitchen, key*), it's basically to say close/shut/lock.


Do you make any distinction between _trancar_ and _cerrar_?


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## 涼宮

Mostly when you mean 'door'. Trancar la puerta rather means lock, and cerrar close. However, I feel that 'trancar la ventana/gas/agua', etc. rather mean that you make sure they're properly close, so trancar is rather emphatic.


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## merquiades

涼宮 said:


> Mostly when you mean 'door'. Trancar la puerta rather means lock, and cerrar close. However, I feel that 'trancar la ventana/gas/agua', etc. rather mean that you make sure they're properly close, so trancar is rather emphatic.



I wonder if _trancar_ is used elsewhere in the hispanosphere?  In Catalan it would be _tancar la porta_.  So I wonder what the origin of the Venezuelan usage is.


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## 涼宮

No idea, Merqui! It's best to ask in the solo español forum. Daily life words and verbs can greatly vary among varieties. For example, in Venezuelan Spanish _bichear_ and _jurungar_ are the two verbs you use when you forget the proper verb or when you don't know the verb for an action. Let's say you forgot how to say ''press the button'' in an elevator, you say then ''bichea el botón'', and if you forget a noun you use the words vaina/coso/mierda/verga . Vaina is uber overused in Venezuelan Spanish for tons of things. The other Spanish varieties will have other multiuse verbs for such things.


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## AmideLanval

merquiades said:


> I wonder if _trancar_ is used elsewhere in the hispanosphere?  In Catalan it would be _tancar la porta_.  So I wonder what the origin of the Venezuelan usage is.


It's also commonly used in Uruguay, the Canary Islands and most of the Caribbean, if I'm not mistaken. 

Since it's concise and precise at once, I myself use it...


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## elroy

Gavril said:


> Does your language have a single term for "locking"


Palestinian Arabic does: قفل


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## Penyafort

merquiades said:


> I wonder if _trancar_ is used elsewhere in the hispanosphere?  In Catalan it would be _tancar la porta_.  So I wonder what the origin of the Venezuelan usage is.



Spanish (or Portuguese) _trancar/atrancar_ and Catalan (or Occitan) _tancar_ are probably not related, depending on what sources for the etymology we check, and their meanings are not exactly the same. In Catalan, _tancar_ is the general word for 'to close'. The Spanish one is not a general word for 'closing', it refers to closing with a _tranca _or bar_. _


In Catalan:

*tancar* /təŋ'ka/ 'to close' -- Either from a pre-Roman root *tanko, or rather from _(es)tancar_, from a Vulgar Latin form *_stancare_, metathesis of _stagnare _'stagnate'.
*· tancar amb clau* (_'to close with key'_) 'to lock'​*· tancar amb pany i clau* (_'to close with lock and key'_) 'to lock', (fig.) 'to keep safely', 'to keep under lock and key'​*· tancar amb pany i forrellat* (_'to close with lock and bolt'_) 'to lock and shoot the bolt'​*cloure* /'klɔwɾə/ 'to close' (but rather with the sense of 'to shut', 'to cover (up)', 'to seal', 'to put a lid on', 'to block'. The use nowadays is formal or literary) -- From Latin _claudere_
*barrar* /bə'ra/ 'to bar, to close with a bar, to bolt' -- From _barra_ 'bar'. (This has become more common than _tancar_ in Occitan as the general one for 'to close')

There's also a cognate with Spanish _cerrar_, from Latin _serare_. It's _*serrar*_, but it's almost only used with teeth or fists (*serrar les dents*, _*serrar el puny*_) and is uncommon or literary, the normal meaning for _serrar_ being 'to saw'.


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## Trisia

Romanian:

a închide = to close ➡️ a închide cu cheia = to lock with a key
a încuia = to lock (with a key, padlock etc). This is pretty general and probably the most used.
a zăvorî = to bolt

We also use "a pune zăvorul" (lit. _to put the bolt_) and "a pune lacăt" (lit. _to put a padlock_). From the latter stem a few idioms/phrases such as "a pune lacăt gurii" (to keep one's mouth shut).


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