repetire

Repetire is a Latin verb meaning to seek again, to return to a previous pursuit, to reclaim or recover something, or to demand again. It is formed from the prefix re- meaning “again” and the verb petere “to seek.” The term belongs to the third conjugation of Latin verbs, characterized by the endings of -ere in the present system and by regular patterns of conjugation.

In classical usage, repetire covers several related senses. It can mean to seek something again (to pursue once more), to return to a topic or action (to reiterate or resume), or to reclaim what is owed, such as money or goods (to demand repayment). The sense shifts with context and with the use of appropriate prepositions or objects, for example pecuniam ab eo repetere meaning to reclaim money from him.

Conjugation and forms follow standard third-conjugation patterns. Present indicative forms include repeto, repetis, repetit; imperfect forms are repetēbam, repetēbās; perfect forms are repetī, repetistī; supine repetitum, with passive participles such as repetitus, are also used in compound constructions.

Cognates in Romance languages reflect the same root. Italian ripetere, Spanish repetir, French répéter, Portuguese repetir, and Romanian repeta all descend from Latin repetere or its participial forms. The verb is also linked to the Latin noun repetitio, meaning repetition, and to the English term repetition through related semantic development.

See also: repetition, repetitio, cognates in Romance languages.