yucatán

English - English

Definition of yucatán in English English dictionary

a state in Mexico

a peninsula in southeast Mexico

Related Terms

Yucatan

Alternative spelling of Yucatán

Yucatan

{i} peninsula in eastern Mexico; state in Mexico

yucatan

a peninsula in Central America extending into the Gulf of Mexico between the Bay of Campeche and the Caribbean Sea

Yucatan Peninsula

{i} peninsula in east Mexico separating the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico

Hyphenation

Yu·ca·tan

Turkish pronunciation

yukıtän

Pronunciation

/ˈyo͞okəˌtan/ /ˈjuːkəˌtæn/

Etymology

() Several etymologies for this name have been proposed: * Perhaps the most well-known is where it is said to derive from Mayan, 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 it is planted. * Perhaps more likely is the derivation from Nahuatl yohcāuh ‘possession, riches’ + tlān ‘place of’.