Provençal

[proh-vuh n-sahl, prov-uh n-; French praw-vahn-sal]

adjective

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

noun

a native or inhabitant of Provence.
Also called Occitan. a Romance language once widely spoken in southern France, still in use in some rural areas. Abbreviation: Pr, Pr., Prov.Compare langue d'oc.
the dialect of Provençal used in Provence.

Origin of Provençal

1580–90; < Middle French < Latin prōvinciālis provincial. See Provence, -al¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for provencal

insular, Catalan, Continental, French, Italian, Latin, Portuguese, Provencal, Spanish

Examples from the Web for provencal

Contemporary Examples of provencal

While the humans are entertaining enough in this Provencal matinee, the bird is the star.
One Perfect Summer Day in Virginia Woolf, Saul Bellow and Others
Matt Seidel
September 25, 2013

Historical Examples of provencal

Clemence joked that with a Provencal like him you could never wash out the oil stains.
L'Assommoir
Emile Zola
All were amiable and highly polished, like all the Provencal nobility.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete
Jacques Casanova de Seingalt
She became abstracted and uneasy; jealousy of the Provencal possessed her.
Lucretia, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
For days has the pale Provencal been closeted with lawyers; but there is no hope in litigation.
Lucretia, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Then I have a Provencal book on hand, and (interlusive) a Provencal romance.
William Sharp (Fiona Macleod)
Elizabeth A. Sharp

British Dictionary definitions for provencal

Provençal

adjective

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

noun

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 statusSee also langue d'oc
a native or inhabitant of Provence

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for provencal

Provencal

adj.

1580s, from French Provençal, from Provence (see Provence). As a name of a language from 1640s. In reference to a style of cooking, attested from 1841.