hållna

Hållna is a Swedish word that functions as a past participle and adjective formed from the verb hål la/hålla, meaning to hold or keep. In contemporary Swedish it is primarily used as an attributive adjective in front of a plural noun to describe something that has been held, kept, or contained. The form agrees with the noun in number, so hållna accompanies plural nouns (for example, de hållna fångarna = the held prisoners). It can also appear in passive constructions with plural subjects, as in fångarna hållna i förvar (the prisoners being held in custody).

Usage and contexts

Hållna is most commonly encountered in formal, descriptive, legal, or historical writing where states of detention, retention, or preservation are being described. It conveys that something has undergone a process of holding or keeping. In everyday speech, speakers may opt for other expressions depending on the context, but hållna remains a standard descriptive option in written Swedish.

Grammatical notes

Hållna is treated as the plural form of the participle used adjectivally. The corresponding singular forms, when used attributively, follow other participial patterns of Swedish and depend on the gender and definiteness of the noun, though the plural tåglike form hållna is the most common appearance in standard usage.

Etymology

The word is derived from the verb hålla/hålla (to hold, keep) with a participial suffix and functions within Swedish as a passive-like adjective, typically agreeing with a plural noun.

See also

Hålla, fånga, död, prisiska