Occitan

Meanings

1. 1proper nounproper

   A Romance language native to southern France, with related varieties in parts of Italy and Spain, once the language of medieval troubadours.

   Grammar: Capitalized, no article: she speaks Occitan.

   Patterns

   • speak Occitan
   • translate into Occitan
   • a book in Occitan

   Her grandmother still spoke Occitan at home in the Pyrenees.

   Occitan was once the language of troubadour poetry.

   Some road signs in southern France are written in French and Occitan.

2. 2adjectivebefore a noun

   Relating to the Occitan language, its speakers or the region where it is spoken.

   Grammar: Before a noun: Occitan poetry.

   Patterns

   • Occitan culture
   • Occitan poetry

   The museum has a display of Occitan poetry from the Middle Ages.

   An Occitan festival takes place in the town every summer.

   He studies Occitan dialects at the university.

Common combinations

speak Occitan

Few young people speak Occitan today.

Occitan poetry

Occitan poetry shaped medieval European love songs.

Occitan dialect

Each valley had its own Occitan dialect.

Old Occitan

Old Occitan is the medieval form of the language.

Occitan culture

Occitan culture is celebrated with music and food festivals.

Synonyms and how they differ

langue d'oc

Langue d'oc is the historical name, used mainly in discussions of medieval history and in contrast to langue d'oil, early northern French.

Provençal

Provençal names the variety in Provence or, in older usage, the whole language, whereas Occitan covers all regional varieties.

Word family

Occitania proper noun

the historic region where Occitan is spoken

Occitanie proper noun

a modern administrative region of southern France

troubadour noun

a medieval poet-singer who often wrote in Occitan

Catalan proper noun

a closely related Romance language

Commonly confused: Occitan or Provençal?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “Occitan”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words