Galician

American  

[guh-lish-ee-uhn, -lish-uhn] / gəˈlɪʃ i ən, -ˈlɪʃ ən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Galicia in NW Spain, its people, or their language.

2. of or relating to Galicia in E central Europe or its people.

---

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Galicia in Spain.

2. the language of Spanish Galicia, often considered a dialect of Portuguese.

3. a native or inhabitant of Galicia in E central Europe.

4. a Jew from Polish Galicia, especially one speaking a Galician dialect of Yiddish.

Galician British  

/ ɡəˈlɪʃɪən, -ʃən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Galicia in E central Europe

2. of or relating to Galicia in NW Spain

---

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of either Galicia

2. the Romance language or dialect of Spanish Galicia, sometimes regarded as a dialect of Spanish, although historically it is more closely related to Portuguese

Example Sentences

For example, “saudade,” in Portuguese and Galician is similar to nostalgia, but doesn’t have the same connotations with memory, such that it can be felt with things that have not been experienced before.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2025

His debut album When Will We Land? includes exotic-sounding samples of Galician folk and Brazilian funk, as well as a recording of his friend Jack Loughrey aka SomeDeadBeat reciting a poem at 4am.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2025

The questions are in Spanish, but Herminia replies in Galician, the local language.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 20, 2024

Dorado was a businessman, who while providing services to Galician administration when Feijóo was No. 2 in its health department, was also running a notorious cigarette smuggling ring.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 20, 2023

I must admit I felt the old surge of love and oratory and I haven’t a drop of Galician blood.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck