Aragonese

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to the region of Aragon in Spain ; pertaining to the language historically spoken in that area ; connected with the culture or people from Aragon
2. Associated with the northeastern Spanish territory known as Aragon ; describing the Romance language derived from medieval Aragonese ; referring to traditions or characteristics of Aragon’s inhabitants
3. Concerning the autonomous community of Aragon within Spain ; relating to the regional language of Aragonese origin ; linked to the customs, history, or identity of the Aragonese population

Etymology: Aragonese is a straightforward formation: the place name Aragon with the suffix "-ese", which English uses to make adjectives and nouns of nationality and language, as in Chinese, Maltese or Japanese. The suffix has a long ancestry. It passed from Latin "-ensis", through a Vulgar Latin form ending in "-iscus", into Old French as "-eis", and reached Middle English as "-eys" before settling into the modern "-ese" spelling. The word therefore names the people, culture and historical language of Aragon, the medieval kingdom and modern autonomous community in northeastern Spain. Its meaning is fixed by the place it names rather than by any shift in sense: it is applied to the language once spoken across that region, a language that is now treated as a distinct Romance tongue in its own right.

Synonyms: aragones, aragonian