Province
late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin provincia ‘charge, province’, of uncertain ultimate origin.
wiktionary
From Middle English provynce, from Anglo-Norman province, Middle French province, from Latin prōvincia(“territory brought under Roman domination; official duty, office, charge, province”), from Proto-Indo-European *prōw-(“right judge, master”). Cognate with Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌰( frauja, “lord, master”), Old English frēa(“ruler, lord, king, master”). See also frow.
etymonline
province (n.)
mid-14c., "country, territory, region, political or administrative division of a country," from Old French province "province, part of a country; administrative region for friars" (13c.) and directly from Latin provincia "territory outside Italy under Roman domination," also "a public office; public duty," a word of uncertain origin. It commonly is explained as pro- "before" + vincere "to conquer" (from nasalized form of PIE root *weik- (3) "to fight, conquer"); but this does not suit the earliest Latin usages. Compare Provence. Meaning "one's particular business or expertise" is from 1620s.
Originally, a country of considerable extent which, being reduced under Roman dominion, was remodeled, subjected to the rule of a governor sent from Rome, and charged with such taxes and contributions as the Romans saw fit to impose. The earliest Roman province was Sicily. [Century Dictionary]
