ceperunt

Ceperunt is a Latin verb form meaning “they captured” or “they took.” It is the third-person plural perfect active indicative of capere, “to seize, take, or grab.” The verb capere belongs to the third conjugation (in the -io subset for some forms), and ceperunt is formed from the perfect stem cep- plus the ending -erunt, marking the third-person plural past tense.

In usage, ceperunt appears in historical narratives, military accounts, and inscriptions to denote a completed action in the past. It is commonly found in classic Latin prose describing events such as the capture of towns, camps, or resources. For example, a sentence like Hostes oppidum ceperunt translates to “The enemies captured the town.”

Related forms at the same tense and voice include cepi (I captured), cepisti (you captured), cepit (he/she/it captured), cepimus (we captured), and cepistis (you all captured). The present tense forms include capiunt (they seize), illustrating how capere covers a wide range of tenses and aspects through its various stems and endings.

Etymology traces capere to a Latin root meaning to seize or take, with ceperunt reflecting the standard perfect plural ending for this verb. As with many Latin perfects, ceperunt is a key form for narrating completed actions in past contexts and remains a common witness in Latin grammar for learners and scholars studying ancient texts.