southern
Meaning
located in or facing the south
coming from or characteristic of the south
Structure
Usage
the southern part of the country has a warmer climate.
she has a distinct southern accent.
the southern hemisphere experiences summer in december.
Etymology
the word "southern" is a native english formation, directly descended from the old english "sūþerne." this old english term was constructed by adding the common adjectival suffix "-erne" to the root "sūþ," which meant the cardinal direction. the root "sūþ" itself has germanic origins, likely related to the proto-germanic "sunþraz," possibly derived from an earlier proto-indo-european root meaning "sun," as the south is the direction of the sun at its zenith. over centuries, the phonetic form simplified from "sūþerne" to "southern," but its core function to denote a relation to the south has remained constant and transparent.
Analysis
south (old english, meaning "south, southern region") + ern (old english, adjective-forming suffix meaning "of or pertaining to")