Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1700-1722, 1818-1838
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ULTRONEOUS, adj. Also ultronious. As in Eng., specif. usages in Sc. Law: of a witness who gives evidence spontaneously without being formally cited, or of evidence given voluntarily. Hence ultroneously, adv. [ʌl′tronjəs]Sc. 1700 Morison Decisions 12119:
The defender objected to one of the witnesses that he was ultroneous, and had come to the messenger and desired himself to be cited.Ags. 1722 W. M. Inglis Angus Parish (1904) 99:
William Christie, the Minister's servant, came ultroneously and complained that he was wrongously accused of Sabbath breach.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xxiii.:
That would be ultroneous evidence, and I ken what belangs to that.Per. 1831 Per. Advertiser (1 Dec.):
The Sheriff admitted as evidence for the prosecution, witnesses who were ultroneous; of partial counsel; and who bore towards the Appellant malice and ill will.Sc. 1838 W. Bell Dict. Law Scot. 371:
Ultroneous witnesses, i.e. witnesses who offer their testimony without being regularly cited, were formerly inadmissable; but this objection seems now only to affect their credibility.
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"Ultroneous adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/ultroneous>
