Yucatán
/ˌjuː.kəˈtɑːn/noun
A Mexican peninsula and state in southeastern Mexico, also the name historically applied by Europeans to the region.
Did you know?The popular story that Yucatán means “I don’t understand” is widely repeated, but historians regard it as an uncertain or legendary explanation rather than a securely proven translation.
Etymological Timeline
Before 16th century
Maya languages
Uncertain
“No securely documented Indigenous form matching the modern name has been established; the peninsula contained several distinct Maya languages.”
1517
Spanish
Yucatán
“An early Spanish place-name recorded after expeditions reached the peninsula; its exact source remains disputed.”
16th century
Spanish
Yucatán
“The name became established in colonial maps and chronicles for the peninsula and surrounding region.”
1566
Spanish
Yucatán
“Diego de Landa used the name in his account of the region, helping preserve its colonial Spanish form.”
Modern English
English
Yucatán
“The conventional English name for Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and, more specifically, the Mexican state of Yucatán.”