Spanish word

austral

Pronunciation

IPA/awsˈtɾal/

Meaning

  • adjectivesouthern

Example

Las zonas australes del país tienen otro clima.

The southern areas of the country have a different climate.

Illustration for austral (southern)

More examples

En el hemisferio austral el verano comienza en diciembre.

In the southern hemisphere summer begins in December.

Core concept

Southern portion of a territory, region, or the globe's southern hemisphere.

Common phrases

  • hemisferio austral

    southern hemisphere

  • zona austral

    southern region

  • Patagonia austral

    southern Patagonia

Similar words

sureño: South side of a country or region, used in everyday speech about people, places, or culture.
meridional: Southern location or climate in geographic and meteorological descriptions, in a formal register.

Definition in Spanish

Que indica que algo pertenece o está situado en la zona meridional de un área o en el hemisferio sur, y que aparece con frecuencia en topónimos y textos geográficos.

Word origin

Derived from Latin australis 'of the south' via the older Auster 'south wind', and used in Romance languages including Spanish to label the south side of places or the southern hemisphere.

Usage tips

  • The term is chiefly formal, toponymic, or scientific in Spanish, so everyday location talk typically uses sur or sureño instead.

Opposites

  • septentrionalnorthernadjective

Word lists with this word