South

Lore & Background

The word south comes from Old English sūþ, from earlier Proto-Germanic *sunþaz, possibly related to the same Proto-Indo-European root that the word sun derived from. Some languages describe south in the same way, from the fact that it is the direction of the sun at noon (in the Northern Hemisphere), like Latin meridies 'noon, south', while others describe south as the right-hand side of the rising sun, like Biblical Hebrew תֵּימָן teiman 'south' from יָמִין yamin 'right'. By convention, the bottom or down-facing side of a map is south. Alternatively, in the Northern Hemisphere outside the tropics, the Sun will be roughly in the south at midday. True south is one end of the axis about which the Earth rotates, called the South Pole, located in Antarctica. Magnetic south is the direction towards the south magnetic pole, some distance away from the south geographic pole. The Global South refers to the socially and economically less-developed southern half of the globe. Use of the term 'South' may also be country-relative, particularly in cases of noticeable economic or cultural divide, such as the Southern United States or the South of England. Southern Cone is the name often referred to as the southernmost area of South America, encompassing Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and the entire South of Brazil. The country of South Africa is so named because of its location at the southern tip of Africa. Australia derives its name from the Latin Terra Australis ('Southern Land').

Reader's Guide

South is a cardinal direction of fundamental importance in navigation, geography, and cultural identity. The etymology of the word reveals deep linguistic roots, linking it to the sun and to concepts of right-handedness in ancient languages, which influenced place names like Yemen. Geographically, the term 'south' extends beyond mere direction to describe regions with economic and cultural divides, such as the Global South, the Southern United States, and the Southern Cone of South America. Nations like South Africa and Australia derive their names from their southern locations. In culture, south appears in card games like bridge and in Greek religion as the south wind Notos. The concept of south thus bridges practical navigation, historical exploration, linguistic heritage, and modern geopolitical divisions.

Did You Know?

• The word south may be related to the same Proto-Indo-European root as the word sun.
• In Biblical Hebrew, the word for south (תֵּימָן teiman) comes from the word for 'right' (יָמִין yamin), as the right-hand side of the rising sun.
• The country of Australia derives its name from the Latin Terra Australis, meaning 'Southern Land'.