suþaz

suþaz is a reconstructed Proto-Germanic noun meaning "south," used to denote the cardinal direction. The form is typically reconstructed as *sunþaz, with the stem sun- plus the masculine nominative singular ending -az and the dental fricative represented by ð in later scripts. The exact Indo-European source is uncertain, but suþaz is treated as the Germanic reflex for the southern direction.

Cognates and reflexes include Old English suð (south), Old Norse suðr (south), and Gothic sunþs (south). In later Germanic languages the root appears as German Süd, and Icelandic suður; English preserves the independent word south. These reflexes illustrate how the Proto-Germanic term gave rise to direction words across the Germanic languages.

In usage, suþaz functioned as a directional noun identifying the southern side or region of a territory. It appears in historical texts and linguistic reconstructions as the basis for toponyms and descriptive phrases referring to the south.

See also: south, suðr, suður, Süd, Gothic sunþs.