preso

Preso is a term used in Italian and Spanish with different grammatical roles. In Italian, preso is the past participle of prendere and is used as an adjective or in compound tenses to mean "taken" or "captured." For example, "È stato preso" means "he has been taken" or "he has been caught." The form agrees with gender and number when used adjectivally: "la persona presa" (the taken person).

In Spanish, preso is a masculine noun meaning a prisoner or detainee, commonly used in legal or colloquial contexts. It forms the plural "presos." The feminine form presa exists in some contexts but is less common for prisoner usage; the standard feminine for a female prisoner is usually "prisionera."

Etymology: the Italian form preso originates as the past participle of prendere (to take), from Latin roots associated with taking or seizing. The Spanish form derives from similar Latin roots via the verb prender or related verbs meaning to seize or capture.

See also: The term can appear in compound phrases or in legal and police terminology in Spanish-speaking countries, and in Italian it is widely used in everyday speech and formal writing to describe acts of capture or detention in verbal tenses. Preso may also occur as a surname or in place names in various regions, reflecting historical usage related to capture or taking possession.