νότος
nótosmasculine
The English word 'south' is translated into Greek as νότος (nótos).
νότος is used as a masculine noun to refer to the compass point south.
Meaning: compass point (noun)
Which one should you use?
While νότος is the noun for the direction itself, you should use different forms depending on your sentence structure. Use the adjective νότιος to describe something as being southern, and use the adverb νότια to indicate movement or direction towards the south.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adverbial form used to indicate direction is νότια. The adjective form used to describe something as being in the south is νότιος.
How do you pronounce it?
nótos
Did you know?
- In Greek mythology, νότος was personified as the god of the south wind, often depicted as a bringer of rain and storms.
- The word νότος is the root of the English word 'notos', used in biology to describe things located on the back or southern side.
- The evolution from the Ancient Greek νότος to the modern version has preserved its core meaning for thousands of years with very little change in spelling.
Examples in context
- Πάμε στην παραλία που είναι νότια;Shall we go to the beach that is in the south?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “south” translations and entries νότος, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries νότος, CC BY-SA 4.0.
