suðr

Suðr is a historical term used in Old Norse and Icelandic to denote the direction "south" or the southern part of a region. In Old Norse manuscripts it functioned both as a noun meaning the south and as an adjective meaning southern, and it often appeared in descriptions of geography and in compound place names. In modern Icelandic, the standard word for south is suður, while suðr survives mainly in archaic, literary, or linguistic discussions of the language.

Etymology and cognates: Suðr derives from Proto-Germanic *sunþr-, a root that also produced the Old English sūþ and related forms in other Germanic languages. The Old Norse spelling uses the letter ð (eth), reflecting the historical phonology of the language. In contemporary Icelandic, the related term suður remains the common form for the cardinal direction, while suðr appears primarily in historical or stylized contexts. Related modern equivalents include Danish syd and Norwegian sør, which share the same ancient origin.

Usage and context: In medieval texts and runic inscriptions, suðr is found in phrases describing location or orientation (for example, toward the south) and in place-name formations indicating southern regions. The term is part of a broader set of directional words in Old Norse, alongside norðr (north), austr (east), and vestr (west), with modern Icelandic counterparts suður, norðr, austr/aursturl, and vestur. In scholarly writing about Old Norse language and Scandinavian history, suðr is used to illustrate historical vocabulary and geographic terminology.

See also: Old Norse language, Icelandic language, cardinal directions in Germanic languages.