southern

south·ern

adjective \ˈsə-thərn\

Definition of SOUTHERN

1

capitalized : of, relating to, or characteristic of a region conventionally designated South

2

a : lying toward the south

b : coming from the south <a southern breeze>

— south·ern·most \-ˌmōst\ adjective

— south·ern·ness \-thərn-nəs\ noun often capitalized

Examples of SOUTHERN

1. the southern part of the state
2. the southern shore of the lake

Origin of SOUTHERN

Middle English southern, southren, from Old English sūtherne; akin to Old High German sundrōni southern, Old English sūth south

First Known Use: before 12th century

Southern

noun

Definition of SOUTHERN

: the dialect of English spoken in most of the Chesapeake Bay area, the coastal plain and the greater part of the upland plateau in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, and the Gulf states at least as far west as the valley of the Brazos in Texas and sometimes taken to include the south Midland area

First Known Use of SOUTHERN

1935

Other Language Terms

cognate, collocation, homonym