Yucatán

English dictionary entry

Meanings

name
  1. A peninsula in North America incorporating the Mexican states of Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo as well as Belize and northeastern Guatemala.
  2. A state of Mexico.

Pronunciation

/ˈjuː.kə.tæn/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Yucatán.wav

Word forms

Yucatán

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish Yucatán. Several etymologies for this name have been proposed: * Perhaps the most well-known is where it is said to derive from Chontal Maya Yokot'an, being either tectetan, meaning “I do not understand you” or uyutan, uyukatan, or yukutan, “listen to them talk!”. * Bernal Diaz derived the name from the vegetable yuca + tale, a hillock in which the tuber is planted.

Related words

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