South in different languages

South in Different Languages

Discover 'South' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'south' holds a significant place in our understanding of the world around us. As one of the four cardinal directions, it helps us navigate the globe, with the Southern Hemisphere being home to diverse cultures, breathtaking landscapes, and unique ecosystems like the Amazon Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.

Moreover, the concept of 'south' has been woven into various cultural expressions and historical narratives. For instance, in literature, 'Gone with the Wind' portrays the American South during the Civil War era, while in mythology, the Underworld is often located in the southern portion of the sky.

Given its importance, you might be interested in learning how to say 'south' in different languages, as it can provide a window into various cultural perspectives and enhance your cross-cultural communication skills.

Here are some translations to get you started:

South


South in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaanssuid
The word "suid" can also refer to pigs or boars, as the Afrikaans word for "pig" is "vark" or "varken".
Amharicደቡብ
The Amharic word "ደቡብ" can also refer to the left-hand side and to the back or rear.
Hausakudu
The name is possibly derived from the Songhai language term "koodoo", meaning "the back" or "southward", or the Zarma language term "goudou," meaning "riverside"
Igbondịda
Historically and in some dialects, 'ndịda' also refers to the left in a pair.
Malagasyatsimo
The word 'atsimo' in Malagasy also refers to a region in the southern part of the island.
Nyanja (Chichewa)kum'mwera
The word "kum'mwera" also refers to the season of the year between March and May when the rains stop and the weather is cold.
Shonachamhembe
"Chamhembe" is the Shona term for "south". It is also the name of a river in Zimbabwe that flows into the Zambezi River.
Somalikoonfur
The word 'Koonfur' also has the alternate meaning of 'darkness' in Somali.
Sesothoboroa
In Sesotho, 'boroa' can also be the name of a person, or an ingredient used to make traditional medicine
Swahilikusini
The Swahili word "kusini" derives from the Arabic word "qibla," which also means "south".
Xhosamazantsi
The Xhosa word "mazantsi" has another meaning, "the way to the sun", as the sun sets in the west, the direction is referred to as "mabutsheni".
Yorubaguusu
The Yoruba word "guusu" means "south," but it can also be used to refer to the "left side" or the "western direction."
Zulueningizimu
The word 'eningizimu' in Zulu also refers to the 'lower part' or 'bottom' of something.
Bambaraworodugu
Eweanyiehe
Kinyarwandamajyepfo
Lingalasude
Lugandasawusi
Sepediborwa
Twi (Akan)anaafoɔ

South in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicجنوب
The word "جنوب" also refers to the south or the southern direction of any place or thing.
Hebrewדָרוֹם
The word "דָרוֹם" (darom) also means "dwell" or "inhabit" in Hebrew, suggesting a connection between the south and the place of residence.
Pashtoسویل
The Pashto word "سویل" not only means "south" but also "left" in the context of direction and "back" in the context of an animal's body.
Arabicجنوب
The word "جنوب" also refers to the south or the southern direction of any place or thing.

South in Western European Languages

Albaniannë jug
The word "në jug" also has the figurative meaning of "to the right".
Basquehegoaldea
"Hegoaldea" is a Basque compound word composed of "hego" (south) and "aldea" (side), referring to the Basque Country south of the Pyrenees.
Catalansud
In Catalan, "sud" derives from the Latin "subtus" meaning "below," as southerly winds are often associated with cooler temperatures.
Croatianjug
In addition to meaning "south," "jug" also means "pitcher" in Croatian.
Danishsyd
The word "syd" is also used in Norwegian and Swedish, and its root is the Proto-Indo-European root "*se-," meaning "to turn" or "to set (of the sun)."
Dutchzuiden
The word "zuiden" can also mean "the land", or "the countryside".
Englishsouth
From Old English sūth, from Proto-Germanic *sunþaz (also the source of Old Norse sunnan, German Süden, Dutch zuid).
Frenchsud
In Old French, "Sud" also meant "below, lower part" and "the part of the body located at the bottom of the back."
Frisiansúd
The West Frisian word "Súd" can also refer to the Southern European or Mediterranean region.
Galiciansur
Besides meaning "south", "sur" can mean "southeast" or "under the wind" in Galician.
Germansüden
The word "Süden" in German also refers to the countries in the south of the European continent.
Icelandicsuður
The word "suður" comes from the Old Norse word "sœðr", which means "toward the sun".
Irishó dheas
As 'ó dheas' translates to 'south' in English, its Latin-based spelling is 'déas'.
Italiansud
The word "Sud" in Italian comes from the Latin word "sub", meaning "under" or "beneath", and refers to the southern position of Italy relative to the rest of Europe.
Luxembourgishsüden
The word "Süden" in Luxembourgish also means "the midday meal".
Maltesefin-nofsinhar
"Fin-nofsinhar" is a Maltese word meaning "south" which literally translates to "in the throat of the wind".
Norwegiansør
"Sør" shares the same root word as "sun" in English, implying that the south is the direction of the sun.
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)sul
"Sul" in Portuguese originally meant "sun," from Latin "sol," referring to the direction it shines.
Scots Gaelicdeas
Deas is cognate with the Welsh word dehau and the Irish word deas, all meaning "right hand".
Spanishsur
In French, "sur" also means "above".
Swedishsöder
The word "söder" is also used in Swedish to refer to the southern parts of Stockholm, such as the island of Södermalm.
Welshde
The word "de" in Welsh can also mean "right" or "dexter" in a directional sense.

South in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianпаўднёвы
The word "паўднёвы" in Belarusian originates from the Old Church Slavonic "пъдънъ", meaning "southern, towards the foot of the mountain".
Bosnianjug
The word `jug` also means `yolk` or `jug` (the container).
Bulgarianюг
In Bulgarian, the word "юг" also means a warm wind blowing from the south or an open and sunny region.
Czechjižní
The word "jižní" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *jugъ, which also means "right" or "the right side of the body".
Estonianlõunasse
The word "lõunasse" in Estonian language also means "for lunch" and the noun form "lõuna" means both "lunch" and "the South".
Finnishetelään
The word "etelään" can also refer to the opposite direction, north, in Finnish mythology.
Hungariandéli
"Déli" (meaning "southern") in Hungarian can also be used in a colloquial way to signify a person with southern characteristics, particularly those who are from southern parts of the country, and sometimes to indicate that one has a rustic and conservative nature.
Latvianuz dienvidiem
“Dienvidi” may have come from Indo-European roots meaning “the sunny side”.
Lithuanianį pietus
Etymology: Old Prussian *pītan 'south', perhaps from Proto-Baltic *pītas.
Macedonianјуг
Македонската дума "југ" произлиза од словенската дума "júgъ", што значи "топла страна".
Polishpołudnie
The word 'południe' comes from the Proto-Slavic word 'polъdьne', meaning 'half of the day', and also refers to the direction from which the midday sun shines.
Romaniansud
The word "sud" derives from the Latin "sudus", meaning "southern", and also designates the south side of a mountain (when facing east) in traditional Romanian architecture.
Russianюг
The word "юг" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "югъ", which also means "right" or "east". Its cognate in other Slavic languages is related to the word "sun".
Serbianјуг
While "југ" typically means "south" in Serbian, it can also refer to the "left hand" or "west" in certain contexts
Slovakjuh
In Old Church Slavonic and Old Russian, the word "juh" also meant "warm".
Slovenianjužno
The word "južno" is also the name of a Slovenian rock band formed in 1995.
Ukrainianпівдень
The word “південь” comes from Proto-Indo-European root *speu- meaning “to spit,” as in the direction of wind (i.e. the south).

South in South Asian Languages

Bengaliদক্ষিণ
The word "দক্ষিণ" also means "right" in Bengali, and is derived from the Sanskrit word "dakshina", which means both "right" and "south".
Gujaratiદક્ષિણ
The word ંેખસીન ("dakshiN") also means "right" in Gujarati, denoting the right-hand side or direction and possibly reflecting the cultural significance of the right-hand as being auspicious and associated with divine power.
Hindiदक्षिण
The word "दक्षिण" also means right (as opposed to left) or skillful and competent.
Kannadaದಕ್ಷಿಣ
The word "ದಕ್ಷಿಣ" (dakshina) in Kannada also means "right (as opposed to left)", "dexterous", "skillful", or "capable".
Malayalamതെക്ക്
The Malayalam word "തെക്ക്" (south) shares its root with the Old Tamil word "തെക്ക" (darkness), signifying the association between the south and the setting sun.
Marathiदक्षिण
The word "दक्षिण" also implies "grace", hence the word "दक्षिणा" (money given to people to show respect or for service rendered)
Nepaliदक्षिण
The word "दक्षिण" also refers to the goddess of wealth and prosperity in Hinduism.
Punjabiਦੱਖਣ
"Dakkhin" can also mean strong, capable, powerful
Sinhala (Sinhalese)දකුණු
The term is also found in many place names, such as Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka, India.
Tamilதெற்கு
The word "தெற்கு" (therku) in Tamil can also mean "right side" or "opposite direction".
Teluguదక్షిణాన
The word "దక్షిణాన" can also refer to the southern direction, the southern regions of India, or the Deccan Plateau.
Urduجنوب
The Urdu word "جنوب" (south) is cognate with the Persian word "جنوب" (south) and the Arabic word "جنوب" (south).

South in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)
The original character for 南 was a drawing of the sun hanging above a roof, to symbolize the noon sun, which is always in the south.
Chinese (Traditional)
南 can also mean "male" when used as an adjective, as in 南方 (southern) or 南朝 (Southern Dynasties).
Japanese
The Japanese character "南" (pronounced "minami") also means "the sunny side" and is often used to indicate the direction of the sun.
Korean남쪽
"남쪽" (south) literally means "sun side" in Korean, as it is the direction the sun faces.
Mongolianөмнөд
Өмнөд is also used to refer to the back of an animal or object or to the posterior part of the body.
Myanmar (Burmese)တောင်
Burmese "တောင်" (taung) also means "mountain" and can be used to denote southern regions of the country because Burma is mostly mountainous in the south and west.

South in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianselatan
The word 'Selatan' in Indonesian also has a connotation of 'downwards' or 'lower' in terms of geographical position.
Javanesekidul
"Kidul" in Javanese may also refer to the supernatural realm associated with the southern sea.
Khmerខាងត្បូង
Etymology: from Pali/Sanskrit "dakṣiṇa", meaning "right side, south" or "southern, being on or toward the right". "ខាង" usually means "side" or "direction" in Khmer.
Laoພາກໃຕ້
Malayselatan
The word 'selatan' (south) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'siryah' which means 'cool' and refers to the cooler southerly regions of the Indian subcontinent.
Thaiทิศใต้
The word "ทิศใต้" (south) in Thai comes from the Sanskrit word "dakṣiṇa" (right), which is the opposite of "uttara" (north), which means "left".
Vietnamesemiền nam
The word "miền Nam" in Vietnamese can also refer to a region in the south of Vietnam or a southern dialect of the Vietnamese language.
Filipino (Tagalog)timog

South in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanicənub
The word "cənub" derives from the Old Turkic word *kün*, meaning "sun".
Kazakhоңтүстік
The Kazakh word оңтүстік "south" was first used in the 17th century to specifically refer to the "southeast" direction.
Kyrgyzтүштүк
The word "түштүк" also means "lunch" in Kyrgyz, as it is typically eaten in the afternoon, during the southern part of the day.
Tajikҷануб
The Persian and Tajik word 'جنوب‎' comes originally from Akkadian, via Arabic and Turkish.
Turkmengünorta
Uzbekjanub
The word "janub" in Uzbek is also used to refer to the direction of prayer in Islam, known as the Qibla, and can also mean "right" or "south."
Uyghurجەنۇب

South in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianka hema
The word "ka hema" in Hawaiian can also refer to the place of death or the afterworld.
Maoritonga
In Maori mythology, Tonga is also the name of the god of the underworld
Samoansaute
"Saute" comes from the Proto-Polynesian word *saŋati, which also means "to fry".
Tagalog (Filipino)timog
The Tagalog word "Timog" may also mean "darkness" or "shadow".

South in American Indigenous Languages

Aymaraaynacha
Guaraniñemby

South in International Languages

Esperantosude
The word "sude" can also mean "south wind" or "southern place".
Latinmeridianam
In Roman mythology, Meridianam is the Roman goddess who represents the south or noon, and was the consort of the sun god Apollo.

South in Others Languages

Greekνότος
"Νότος" comes from the Proto-Greek word "*not-os,
Hmongsab qab teb
The word "sab qab teb" also refers to anything that is located in the southern region.
Kurdishbaşûr
The word "başûr" also means "right" or "right-hand side" in Kurdish.
Turkishgüney
"Güney" also refers to the southerly point or region, the opposite end of the horizon.
Xhosamazantsi
The Xhosa word "mazantsi" has another meaning, "the way to the sun", as the sun sets in the west, the direction is referred to as "mabutsheni".
Yiddishדרום
The Yiddish word "דרום" originated from the Hebrew word "דרים" (darim), meaning "dwellings" or "southern slopes", and also referred to the southern part of the Land of Israel
Zulueningizimu
The word 'eningizimu' in Zulu also refers to the 'lower part' or 'bottom' of something.
Assameseদক্ষিণ
Aymaraaynacha
Bhojpuriदक्खिन
Dhivehiދެކުނު
Dogriदक्खन
Filipino (Tagalog)timog
Guaraniñemby
Ilocanoabagatan
Kriosawt
Kurdish (Sorani)باشوور
Maithiliसाऊथ
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯈꯥ
Mizochhim
Oromokibba
Odia (Oriya)ଦକ୍ଷିଣ
Quechuaqulla
Sanskritदक्षिण
Tatarкөньяк
Tigrinyaደቡብ
Tsongadzonga

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