Literal translation
to make the snout
Meaning
to sulk
Explanation
Mourre means the snout, the muzzle, or more broadly the boar's mug and the sullen face, a word with a wide semantic field covering the front of the face in animals and humans alike, with a rustic, familiar edge; faire lou mourre literally means making the snout, that is, twisting one's face into a closed, sulky expression. The expression matches the French faire la tête exactly, describing someone who sulks in silence, face shut, without discussing what is bothering them. The stress falls on the ou, which sets mourre apart from the homophonous French word and marks its own place in Provençal vocabulary. The register is very familiar, used for children and adults alike, in a domestic or friendly setting. The image of the snout, borrowed from animal vocabulary, gives the expression a rustic, slightly mocking flavor, the sulky face being likened to that of a sullen beast, a rustic image far removed from human dignity.