Valencian

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to the region of Valencia in Spain; pertaining to the Romance language spoken there which is a variety of Catalan; describing the culture, people, or products originating from this area
2. Connected to the eastern Spanish area of Valencia; associated with the local language closely related to Catalan spoken by its inhabitants; referencing characteristics, traditions, or items from this specific locale
3. Having a connection to the Valencian Community in Spain; referring to the language variant considered a dialect of Catalan used within this region; indicating anything tied to the local customs, history, or attributes of Valencia

Etymology: Valencian is a plain formation: the name of the city and region of Valencia on Spain's eastern coast, with the suffix "-ian" added to mark a person, place or thing belonging to it. The suffix is the same one found in words like "Italian" and "Parisian," and it is what turns a place name into an adjective or noun for its inhabitants and products. The word has a twin. "Valentien" is a doublet, meaning the two forms come from the same source but arrived in English by different routes and took on different shapes. Because the same name passed through different channels, the pair ended up with slightly different spellings and uses, though both still point back to the same city. Used as a noun, "Valencian" can mean a native of the region or the Romance language spoken there, which is a variety of Catalan. The language is the most significant sense for many readers, since it marks the region's linguistic identity as distinct from the rest of Catalonia, even though the two are closely related.

Synonyms: valenciano