Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
†EXTRANEAN, n. An outsider, stranger; one not belonging to the household. Used in Aberdeen during the 19th century as a name for those boys who came in from country districts to attend the Grammar School for a short time in order to study intensively for the University bursary competition. Obs. since 1870.Abd. 1848–51 in Bon Record (ed. Simpson 1906) 249:
During the last quarter, before the Competition for Bursaries at the Universities, the size of Dr Melvin's classes was almost doubled by “Extraneans” coming from all over the North of Scotland to get their final equipment for the great contest.Abd. 1875 W. Alexander My Ain Folk 4:
He had fully determined that no adult stranger of the male sex should again be permitted to occupy the position of an extranean, even, in his household.Abd. 1900 E.D.D.:
In the Grammar School at Aberdeen the “extranean” was one who had not gone through the regular curriculum from the lowest to the highest classes, or attended a whole year in the highest classes, but had come from other schools for the last quarter in order to get a final drill or finishing touch before going to compete for the University bursaries or scholarships.
