Estranys

Estranys is a Catalan word that functions as both a plural noun and an adjective. As a noun, l'estrany refers to a person who is unknown to the speaker—a stranger. The masculine plural form is els estranys, and in indefinite usage uns estranys can also be used. The feminine noun form is uncommon; when referring to women who are strangers, Catalan speakers typically use phrases like una persona estranya or les persones estranyes, with estranya and estranyes serving as the feminine forms of the adjective.

As an adjective, estrany means strange or foreign. Its feminine forms are estranya (singular) and estranyes (plural). These forms are used to describe objects or persons: una situació estranya (an odd situation) or persones estranyes (strange people). The word also historically conveys the sense of “foreign” or “not belonging,” similar to corresponding terms in related Romance languages.

Etymology and related terms: Estrany is derived from Latin extraneus, cognate with Spanish extraño and French étranger. In Catalan, the sense shift from “foreign” to “strange” is common in many contexts, where estrany can describe unfamiliar phenomena as well as unfamiliar people.

Usage and nuance: In everyday Catalan, estranys used as a noun emphasizes the social position of someone unknown or outside a group. As an adjective, it covers both unusualness and unfamiliarity. The term for an outsider, more neutral than estrany, is foraster or forastera in some dialects.

See also: Catalan language, Estranya, Foraster.