reduzidos

Reduzidos is the plural masculine form of the Portuguese adjective reduzido, meaning reduced or diminished. It is commonly used to characterize objects, quantities, or conditions that have been made smaller or less in amount, such as preços reduzidos (reduced prices) or tamanho reduzido (reduced size). In some contexts, reduzidos can also function as a noun, referring to people connected with a historical or administrative concept of reduction, as described in certain documentary or historical texts.

Etymology and usage notes: reduzido comes from reduzir, which in turn derives from Latin reducere, meaning to bring back or lead back to a smaller or simpler state. The term maintains the sense of something that has been cut down, simplified, or made more compact. In Portuguese, adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify; the feminine and plural forms are reduzida(s) and reduzidos, respectively.

Historical and contextual usage: in historical and anthropological literature, the plural term reduzidos has appeared in discussions of colonial-era settlements known as reduções (reduction settlements). In some sources, inhabitants of these settlements are described as reduzidos. This usage is specialized and context-dependent, and it is not a general or contemporary term for modern populations. The concept and terminology can vary across languages and regions.

See also: reduçāo, reduzir, preços reduzidos, redução (disambiguation).