Yucatán

Meaning

Proper Noun

• A peninsula in North America incorporating the Mexican states of Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo as well as Belize and northeastern Guatemala.
• state Mexico (country).

Origin

• 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 Tabasco Chontal 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.
• Perhaps more likely is the derivation from Nahuatl yohcāuh ‘possession, riches’ + tlān ‘place of’.