moururent

Moururent is the third-person plural form of the French verb mourir in the passé simple, meaning "they died." It is a literary past tense form used primarily in written narration to indicate a completed action in the past.

Etymology and grammar: The passé simple is a conjugation used mainly in formal writing and historical works. Moururent follows the standard ending pattern for the third-person plural of -re verbs in this tense, which is -urent. The corresponding present tense forms are suited to a variety of contexts: mourut (he/she/it died) in the singular, and moururent in the plural. In everyday spoken French, the passé simple is rarely used, having mostly been replaced by the passé composé for past events.

Usage and registers: Moururent appears most often in historical chronicles, novels, and other literature that aims to evoke a period style. It signals a narrative distance and a sense of sequence in past events. Because it is not common in contemporary speech, its appearance can cue a reader to a formal or antiquated voice. The modern equivalent in casual language is generally ils sont morts or ils sont mortes, using the passé composé.

Examples: Ils moururent lors de l’assaut, et la ligne tomba peu après. Les soldats moururent de faim pendant le siège, selon les récits du temps.

See also: mourir, passé simple, mourant, passé composé. References in standard French dictionaries and grammar guides discuss the passé simple conjugations and their usage in literary contexts.