Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “southern” come from?

Southern derives from Middle English southerne, from Old English sūþerne, from Proto-Germanic sunþrōnijaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sh₂un- and sóh₂wl̥, both relating to the sun.

southern (English): Of, facing, situated in, or related to the south;...

Definitions

  1. Of, facing, situated in, or related to the south;...

Ancestry of “southern”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsouthernesouthern
2Old Englishsūþernesouthern, southerly, coming from the south; of...
3Proto-Germanicsunþrōnijazsouthern
4Proto-Indo-Europeansóh₂wl̥sun

Words derived from “southern”

  • southernmost
  • southerner
  • southernwood
  • nonsouthern
  • southernness
  • southernly
  • southernization
  • southernism
  • southernize
  • southernisation
  • southernist
  • Southerner
  • southernwort
  • southernise
  • southernish
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sóh₂wl̥ →