Expugnare

Expugnare is a Latin verb meaning to take by assault, to storm and capture. It denotes the act of capturing a place by force, such as a city, fortress, or camp. The verb is transitive and typically takes a direct object in the accusative; in passive constructions the action is described as being taken by assault rather than performing it.

Origin and principal parts: Expugnare is formed from ex- “out, thoroughly” and pugno/pugno “to fight.” The standard principal parts are expugno, expugnare, expugnavi, expugnatum. It is a regular 1st-conjugation verb. Present active indicative endings are expugno, expugnas, expugnat, expugnamus, expugnas, expugnant; passive present forms include expugnar, expugnaris, expugnatur, expugnamur, expugnamini, expugnantur.

Usage: In classical Latin it denotes military action intended to seize a fortified place by force. It appears in accounts of sieges and campaigns and can be used figuratively to mean conquering or overcoming obstacles by force. The noun expugnatio (a siege or assault) and the agent noun expugnator (a besieger) are derived from the same root; expugnabilis means able to be taken, and expugnans is a present participle meaning “taking by assault.”

Derivatives and related terms: Related forms include expugnatio (siege), expugnator (besieger), expugnabilis (capable of being taken), and expugnans (present participle). In medieval and later Latin, these terms continued to be common and influenced technical vocabularies for military and fortress discourse.