Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Provencal

Provencal

2 8.2
About the people, food, or style of Provence in southeast France
  • adjective
  • /ˌprɒvənˈsɑːl/
: provenzal
  • The flavors of her homemade ratatouille were truly Provencal, reflecting the rich culinary traditions of southern France.
  • Provencal vinegar
  • Provencal herb
  • Provencal herb mix

Examples

  • Yet, during his St.-Remy period, Van Gogh's idyllic presentation of a "classic" Provencal landscape was superseded on several occasions by images of spiritual longing, reflecting the need that he expressed for the consolation of a heaven beyond this earth.

    Academic text (1993)

  • You're thinking you would like to live here and eat nothing but Provencal food, but then would you lose the contrast?

    Fiction book (2002)

  • You see Pound writing his version of the Provencal troubadour song Canzone.

  • Beyond those, I have an intimate knowledge... of the Romance tongues, Italian, French, Spanish... Catalan and to a lesser degree Portugese, Vaudois... Provencal and other dialects.

    The Professor and the Madman (2019)

  • During our trip, we immersed ourselves in the Provencal culture by visiting local markets and enjoying regional wines.

  • The charming village was decorated with Provencal art, showcasing the vibrant colors and scenic landscapes of the area.

Surface Forms

Provencal positive
Provençal positive

Morphology

Provencal = Provence (transparent) = Provence + al

Regular adjectival formation from the place name 'Provence' using the productive suffix '-al', so the meaning is directly inferable.

Etymology

Provencal comes from the name of the French region Provence, which shares the same root as the English word province meaning 'a part of a country'. So Provencal simply means 'from Provence' or about its people, places, and culture.