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.

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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

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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; see origin at Provence, -al ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Provençal

Right on the Place des Lices, the Hôtel Les Palmiers offers 25 rooms in a traditional Provençal building set in a garden.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

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

This classic Provençal braise combines fresh artichoke hearts with aromatic vegetables, herbs and white wine.

From Washington Times ● May 8, 2023

Those Provençal rock formations — rocks of air and watercolor, Cézanne as geologist!

From New York Times ● Dec. 8, 2021

"Come along, sir; the time has arrived," said the Provençal.

From A Desperate Voyage by Knight, Edward Frederick