southwest
Pronunciation
- IPA: /saʊθˈwɛst/[1]
Etymology
It is Middle English, inherited from Old English sūþwest (“to the south-west”), a compound of south and west.[2][3] The noun and adjective developed from the adverb.[3]
Earliest recorded meaning
Toward a point between south and west: Old English, before the 12th century in MWU.[2][3]
Semantic evolution
As a noun, the direction or region between south and west, it is from the early 12th century.[2][3] In United States use the Southwest meant Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana by 1835,[2] and now generally the states of New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, California and Nevada.[4] In Britain it is the southwestern part of the country, especially Cornwall, Devon and Somerset.[5] The southwester, a storm from the southwest, is by 1833, and as sou'wester a waterproof nautical hat or coat by 1836.[2]
Timeline
- Old English – the adverb.[2]
- early 12th century – the noun.[2]
- 1833 – southwester.[2]
- 1835 – the US Southwest.[2]
Modern meaning
Noun
- The point of the compass or direction halfway between south and west.
- A region lying in the southwest.
- (the Southwest) The southwestern United States, or the southwest of Britain.
Adjective
- In, toward or facing the southwest.
- Coming from the southwest, as a wind.
Adverb
- In, from or toward the southwest.
Word family
- southwestern
- southwester
- southwesterly
- south-southwest
- west-southwest
- southwest by west
- southwest by south
Related words
Usage notes
Collins notes a nautical pronunciation without the th, /ˌsaʊˈwɛst/.[5]
References
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
- ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins