dixerint

Dixerint is a Latin verb form that appears in classical Latin grammar. It is the third-person plural perfect active subjunctive of the verb dicere, “to say.” The perfect active subjunctive is formed on the perfect stem dix- with the subjunctive endings; for this person and number the form is dixerint. The corresponding forms include dixerit (3rd singular) and dixerim, dixeris, dixerit, dixerimus, dixeritis for other persons.

Usage-wise, dixerint is used in subordinate clauses in indirect speech or indirect questions, especially after verbs of saying, thinking, or knowing, and in contexts where the time frame is past. In English translation, it often corresponds to “that they may have said” or “that they had said,” depending on the main verb’s tense and the sequence of tenses in Latin. An example is Nescio quid dixerint, meaning “I do not know what they may have said.”

In Latin practice, the form exemplifies the way the perfect subjunctive marks a completed action relative to the main clause and interacts with the tense of the primary narration. Its usage is most clearly attested in Classical Latin, with some continuation into Late Latin, though later authors sometimes prefer other constructions or moods in similar contexts.

See also: dicere, Latin verb conjugation, Latin subjunctive mood, indirect discourse.