Old Provencal was an important language spoken (in a variety of dialects) in Provence, Languedoc, Foix, Béarn, Gascony, Guyenne, Limousin, Marche Auvergne, the southestern half of Limousin and the southern half of Daupiné. It was also an important literary language, especially in the the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. In particular, it was the language of the troubadours. A knowledge of the language is, therefore, of great value to medievalists, students of literature and those interested in Romance languages.

Charles Hall Grandgent was a professor at Harvard from 1896 to 1932. He was highly regarded as a Romance linguist and authority on Dante. He was also a leading expert on American English dialects.