Southwark

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A borough of inner London on the south bank of the River Thames ; an old district of the same area famed for its history and its cathedral
2. A London borough lying south of the Thames ; the historic quarter surrounding Southwark Cathedral and its streets
3. An administrative area on the southern bank of the Thames in London ; a long-established neighbourhood centred on Southwark Cathedral

Etymology: Southwark is a place name, and its name records a work that once stood there. Its Old English form, "Sūþġeweorc", combines "sūþ" (south) with "ġeweorc", meaning a fortification or defensive work. The name therefore meant something like "southern fortification," a reference to its position on the south bank of the Thames, opposite the City of London. Over the centuries the name worn down from Old English through Middle English "Southwerk" into the modern spelling. The second element, "-werk" or "-wark," kept the sense of a defensive structure, and the name remained tied to the river crossing it guarded.