'austral' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'australis', where 'auster' meant 'south (south wind)'.

'austral' came into English via Late Latin 'australis' (and Old French forms) and was adopted into modern English as 'austral'.

Initially, it meant 'southern' (relating to the south), and over time it has retained this core meaning while also being used for specific senses such as the name of an Argentine currency.