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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Southern, Soth(e)ro(u)n, Suthero(u)n, Sudro(u)n, adj. and n. Also: southerne, southeroun, southren, sowthroun, sothren, sutheren, -aine, suthroun, suddron(e. [ME and e.m.E. suðerne (Layamon), souþerne (c1290), sotherin (Cursor M.), southren (Chaucer), southern, sowtherne (c1440), OE súðerne.]

A. adj. 1. Of people: Emanating from the south, English. Also metonymically, with syde, part, blud, etc.(a) 1375 Barb. xvii 843.
For sotheroun men wald that he mad Arest thar c1475 Wall. v 930.
On Sotheron men full gret slauchter thai maid c1475 Wall. vii 1000.
With Sotheroun blud thair wapynnys sone thai wet c1475 Wall. ix 494.
The Sotheron part was handlyt thar full hayt c1475 Wall. x 664.
Then ferdly fled full mony Sotheroun syr c1475 Wall. ix 530, etc.(b) c1475 Wall. iii 41.
His purpos was to wenge him … On Sothron blud, quhilk has his eldris slayne c1475 Wall. v 48.
And xl men of Sothroun part war dede c1475 Wall. iii 400, etc.(c) c1500 Fyve Bestes 71.
The samyn day the sutheren [seid] Had wrocht thair will apon W[allace](d) 1570–1 Bann. Memor. 87.
This cuntrie is come in subjectione … By slicht, and suddrone bloud

2. Of things: Pertaining to, found or made in, characteristic of, the south (of Britain); English. 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (STS) 403.
For thai haif gane about to bring thame [sc. Lindsay's works] to the southerne language … quhairfoir the natiue grace and first mynd of the wryter is oftentymes peruertit 1578 Edinb. Test. VI 361b.
Ane doubill sutheroun or rois noble price thairof xj l. x s.

3. Of a place: Situated in or to the south; lying in a southerly direction. 1536–7 Ayr B. Acc. 7.
For the few of the Sowthroun Holme the samyn terme 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I 210.
To France Flanderis Spane and uthers sutherane pairtis 1684 Melville Chart. 182.
The southern and western shyrs quhair severall rebells … doe haunt and resort

B. noun. 1. A native of the southern part of Britain; an English person. Also coll., the English.sing. c1475 Wall. iii 250.
Na Sothren … was persawyt in thai wais Bot he tholyt dedepl. c1475 Wall. ii 232.
To the dede fell Sothroun ȝeit he dicht 1535 Stewart 43310.
Quhair mony sutheroun in that tyme wer keildcoll. c1475 Wall. i 188.
He saw the Sothroun multipliand mayr c1475 Wall. iv 665.
Thocht Sotheren had it suorn c1475 Wall. vii 23.
Than demyt he, the fals Sotheroun amang, How thai best mycht the Scottis barownis hang c1475 Wall. ix 951, etc.
Sothron 1535 Stewart 47354.
Quhairat the Sutheroun scharpest maid assaill c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 633.
The Sutheroun wes ay fywe for ane c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 667.
Quhen that the Sutheroun saw his micht, Effrayitlie thay tuke the flicht 1581 Sat. P. xliv 154.
Outlauis suthorne suorne a1586 Kamington 42.
He wsit manheid and diligence Against suthroun … To save the croun

2. The English language, as distinct from Scots. 1513 Doug. i Prol. 111.
Kepand na sudron [Sm. sudroun] bot our awyn langage 1513 Doug. i Prol. 113.
Nor ȝit sa cleyn all sudron I refus 1562-3 Winȝet I 138/11.
I sall wryte to ȝou my mynd in Latin, for I am nocht acquyntit with ȝour Southeroun 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 160b.
King James the fyft … hering ane of his subiectis knap suddrone, declarit him or [sic] trateur