Provençal

American  

[proh-vuhn-sahl, prov-uhn-, praw-vahn-sal] / ˌproʊ vənˈsɑl, ˌprɒv ən-, prɔ vɑ̃ˈsal /

adjective

1. of or relating to Provence, its people, or their language.

---

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Provence.

2. Also called Occitan.  a Romance language once widely spoken in southern France, still in use in some rural areas. Pr, Pr., Prov.

3. the dialect of Provençal used in Provence.

Provençal British  

/ prɔvɑ̃sal, ˌprɒvɒnˈsɑːl /

adjective

1. relating to, denoting, or characteristic of Provence, its inhabitants, their dialect of French, or their Romance language

---

noun

1. a language of Provence, closely related to Catalan, French, and Italian, belonging to the Romance group of the Indo-European family. It was important in the Middle Ages as a literary language, and attempts have been made since the 19th century to revive its literary status See also langue d'oc

2. a native or inhabitant of Provence

Etymology

Origin of Provençal

First recorded in 1580–90; from Middle French, from Latin prōvinciālis provincial; Provence, -al ¹

Example Sentences

Many traditional stews are built without it: a Central American jocón, a West African mafe and a Provençal daube all skip browning and rely on other ingredients to deepen their flavors.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 13, 2024

In this pappardelle recipe from our book “Tuesday Nights Mediterranean,” which features weeknight-friendly meals from the region, we took inspiration from Richard Olney’s classic book “Lulu’s Provençal Table.”

From Washington Times • Aug. 1, 2023

The rest of the blend is cinsaut and mourvèdre, two grapes more familiar to fans of Provençal rosés.

From Washington Post • Jul. 28, 2022

"Rosé is so oversaturated," she says, adding that it's understandably harder to nudge someone to buy, say, a pricier Sangiovese rosé when light, affordable, no-brainer Provençal rosé is within reach.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2022

A number of the later chansons are in Provençal, but all attempts to refer the entire cycle in its original condition to that literature have signally failed.

From Legends & Romances of Spain by Spence, Lewis