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Glite Dictionary
South Island

South Island

1 3.1
A large island of New Zealand that has fewer people than the North Island
  • proper noun
translation icon : Isla del Sur
  • The South Island's dramatic scenery makes it a favorite destination for hiking and adventure sports.
  • west coast of the South Island

They're Jenny from New Zealand in the Cargill on the South Island to be exact, and Luis from Portugal near Porto.

Examples

  • I really felt it when I was in New Zealand when we visited the South Island.

    Blog text (16)

  • Most notably, the Ngai Tahu iwi used archaeological data indicating their long residence on South Island to support their territorial claims there.

    Academic text (2003)

  • He was back in the South Island and back on the farm.

    The Devil Dared Me To (2007)

  • Earlier this year, you also toured the South Island by bicycle.

    Blog text (9)

  • So this is an overview of how we spent our six days RV around the South Island of New Zealand.

  • In the South Island, Queenstown, despite being quite touristy, really is worth visiting.

    Blog text (31)

  • The drive out to Waipapa Point, near the southernmost tip of the South Island, was almost surreal.

    Blog text (15)

  • The gateway to magnificent Abel Tasman National Park, the beach is located at the top of New Zealand's South Island.

    Blog text (7)

  • Researchers identified the new species and found that it went extinct about 500 years ago, right around the time the Maori people first arrived on the country's South Island.

    Academic text (2009)

  • The South Island is known for its stunning landscapes and vibrant outdoor activities, attracting tourists from around the world.

Surface Forms

South Island main

Morphology

South + island

The name combines the direction 'South' with the noun 'island' so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes an island located to the south (i.e., the southern island of a country). This is a straightforward compositional place-name pattern found across languages, so the meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

South Island gets its name from its position: it is the South Island, the land 'to the south' of New Zealand's other main island. So today South Island refers to the larger island that has fewer people than the North Island.