region and former province of southeast France, from French Provence, from Latin provincia "province" (see province); the southern part of ancient Gaul technically was the province of Gallia Narbonensis, but it came under Roman rule long before the rest of Gaul and as the Romans considered it the province par excellence they familiarly called it (nostra) provincia "our province."
Entries linking to provence
province n.
mid-14c., "country, territory, region, political or administrative division of a country," from Old French province "province, part of a country; administrative region for friars" (13c.) and directly from Latin provincia "territory outside Italy under Roman domination," also "a public office; public duty," a word of uncertain origin. It commonly is explained as pro- "before" + vincere "to conquer" (from nasalized form of PIE root *weik- (3) "to fight, conquer"); but this does not suit the earliest Latin usages. Compare Provence. Meaning "one's particular business or expertise" is from 1620s.
Originally, a country of considerable extent which, being reduced under Roman dominion, was remodeled, subjected to the rule of a governor sent from Rome, and charged with such taxes and contributions as the Romans saw fit to impose. The earliest Roman province was Sicily. [Century Dictionary]
Provencal adj.
"pertaining or belonging to Provence," the former province of southeastern France, 1580s, from French Provençal, from Provence (see Provence). As a name of the region's Romanic language (the dialect of the troubadours), from 1640s. In reference to a style of cooking, attested from 1841. Sometimes also Provencial; Middle English had Provinciales "men from Provence" (early 14c.).