Meanings
proper noun
- historicalA former German colony (before World War I) and later a South African colony (from 1915 to 1990, illegally occupied after 1966 per United Nations stipulations) in Southern Africa; modern Namibia.
Origin
- GermanSüdwestafrika
- EnglishSouth West Africa
Calque of German Südwestafrika, the name of the German colony before it was lost during World War I and put under South African administration.
More words from German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans Suidwes-Afrika
- Suidwes-Afrikaformer colony of Germany and then South Africa
Dutch Zuidwest-Afrika
- Zuidwest-Afrikaformer colony of Germany and then South Africa
Estonian Edela-Aafrika
- Edela-Aafrikaformer colony of Germany and then South Africa
Finnish Lounais-Afrikka
- Lounais-Afrikkaformer colony of Germany and then South Africa
French Sud-Ouest africain
- Sud-Ouest africainformer colony of Germany and then South Africa
German Südwestafrika
- Südwestafrikaformer colony of Germany and then South Africa
Irish an Afraic Thiar Theas
- an Afraic Thiar Theasformer colony of Germany and then South Africa
Portuguese Sudoeste Africano
- Sudoeste Africanoformer colony of Germany and then South Africa
Spanish África del Sudoeste
- África del Sudoesteformer colony of Germany and then South Africa
Swahili Afrika ya Kusini Magharibi
- Afrika ya Kusini Magharibiformer colony of Germany and then South Africa
Cite this entry
APA
South West Africa. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/South%20West%20Africa
MLA
“South West Africa.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/South%20West%20Africa. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “South West Africa,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/South%20West%20Africa.
Source: South West Africa on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.