Old English suðwesterne; see southwest + -ern. In reference to a section of the U.S., from 1806, when it meant "Mississippi and Alabama."

river between Georgia and Alabama, from Muskogee cato-hocce hvcce "marked-rock river," from cvto "rock," hocce "marked" + hvcce "stream."

river in Alabama, first attested in Spanish as Tascaluza, from Choctaw (Muskogean) taska-losa, literally "warrior-black."

South Korean capital, from Korean soul, literally "capital." It was the national capital from 1392 until Japanese annexation in 1910.

Chinese capital, from bei "north" + jing "capital" (as opposed to Nanking, literally "southern capital").

"write or print in capital letters," 1764, from capital (n.1) + -ize. The meaning "convert (assets) to capital" is recorded from 1868, from capital (n.2). Related: Capitalized; capitalizing.

"reduce from the rank or position of a capital city," 1870; see de- + capital (n.1) + -ize. As "to remove the financial capital from," by 1913, from capital (n.2). In reference to letters, "to change from upper case to lower case," by 1899. Related: Decapitalized; decapitalization.

city in China, literally "southern capital," from Chinese nan "south" + jing "capital."

capital of Australia, 1826, from Aborigine nganbirra "meeting place."

1860, "act of converting (assets) to capital," noun of action from capitalize in the financial sense. The meaning "act of writing or printing in capital letters" is recorded from 1847, from the writing sense.