Etymologically
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southern

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 15 October 2026 at 19:29. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: UK /ˈsʌð.ən/, US /ˈsʌð.ɚn/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English southren,[2][3] inherited from Old English sūþerne,[4][3] formed from sūþ, “south”, and the suffix -erne, which denotes direction.[4][5] It is a common Germanic compound, found also in Old Frisian suthern, Old Norse suðrœnn and Old High German sundrōni.[4][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Of the wind, blowing from the south: about 888.[6] Of people, living in or coming from the south, is from about 950.[6]

Semantic evolution

Lying to the south, and found in or typical of the south, are from about 1000.[6] In astronomy it named constellations from 1594, and the Southern Cross is so called in English by 1756.[6][4] Southern lights, the aurora australis, is from 1775.[6] In the United States it was applied to the Southern States from 1789 of people[6] and 1819 of things.[6] Southern-fried, of cooking typical of the American South, is by 1972 in its generic sense.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 888 – of the wind.[6]
  • c. 950 – of people.[6]
  • c. 1000 – lying to the south.[6]
  • 1594 – in names of constellations.[6]
  • 1756 – Southern Cross.[4]
  • 1775 – southern lights.[6]
  • 1789 – of the US Southern States.[6]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. In, towards or facing the south.
  2. Coming from the south: a southern wind.
  3. Native to or growing in the south.
  4. Of or typical of southern regions, or of the South of a country, especially the US.
  5. South of the equator.

Word family

  • southernness
  • southernmost

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  3. ^ a b Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press