receperunt

receperunt is a Latin verb form meaning “they received” or “they have received,” derived from the third‑person plural perfect active indicative of recipere, a compound of re‑ (“back, again”) and capere (“to take, seize”). The form appears frequently in classical, medieval, and later Latin texts, where it can denote the receipt of physical objects, messages, gifts, or abstract concepts such as blessings, debts, or responsibilities. In Roman legal language, receperunt often introduces a factual statement concerning the acquisition of property or obligations, for example, “ omnia quae hanc domum receperunt ” (“all that they have received in this house”).

In Biblical Latin (the Vulgate), receperunt is used to translate Greek perfect forms and to convey theological ideas of grace and adoption, as in “quod in Christo Jesum receperunt” (“that they have received in Christ Jesus”). The phrase also occurs in liturgical prayers and hagiographies, emphasizing the reception of divine gifts or sacraments.

From a grammatical perspective, receperunt is a regular 3rd‑conjugation verb with the perfect stem recept‑, which gives rise to related forms such as receptus (past participle) and receptio (noun, “a receiving”). The form follows standard Latin word order, though it may be placed early in a sentence for emphasis.

In modern scholarship, receperunt is examined in studies of Latin syntax and translation theory, illustrating how Latin renders Greek perfect aspects and how the verb’s semantic range expands from concrete receipt to metaphorical acceptance. The term remains a point of interest for students of Latin literature, ecclesiastical texts, and historical linguistics.