Provençal

[proh-vuhn-sahl, prov-uhn-, praw-vahn-sal]

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

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Provençal¹

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