Where does “Southland” come from?

Southland is a compound of south and land, where land derives from Middle English lond, Old English land, and Proto-Indo-European lendʰ-, meaning to lie flat or extend.

Southland (English): The American South

Definitions

  1. The American South

Ancestry of “Southland”, step by step

Southland traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English South

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishSouthAny of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie
2Frenchsudsouth
3Middle Frenchsudsouth
4Old Frenchsudsouth
5Old Englishsūþsouth
6Proto-Germanicsunþrąsouth; south, southward
7Proto-Indo-Europeansóh₂wl̥sun

via English Land

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishLandThe part of Earth which is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water
2Middle EnglishlandAlternative form of lond; urine
3Old Englishhlandurine
4Proto-Germanichlandąurine
5Proto-Indo-Europeanklān-liquid, wet ground

Words derived from “Southland”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sóh₂wl̥ →Every word from Proto-Germanic sunþrą →Every word from Old English sūþ →