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How did the "Yucatan" get its name - and what exactly does it mean? |
Travel Info How did the "Yucatan" get its name - and what exactly does it mean? Travel Tips Take your pick, from these two as the actual source is not known: 1/ The name "Yucatan" is the Nahuatl (Aztec) word Yokatl膩n, "place of richness." 2/ Yucatan, is allegedly the answer to the Spanish explorer Francisco Fernandez de Cordoba鈥檚 question to a native as to what the name of the place was. In the Indian dialect, Yucatan means, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand you.鈥?[1] Source(s): [1] Robert Hendrickson, The Facts on File; Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, Checkmark Books, New York, 2000. Other Travel Tips Truth or legend? Here's the story I've heard. When Cortes and his conquistadores asked the Mayan people about their land, they answered that they didn't understand, literally "We don't understand your language." The Mayan sounds for that phrase sounded like Yucatan, it is said. It's a good story anyway. Edit: Do I read the 2nd answer as slamming Mexico? I hope not. The person above had it partially correct. When asked what they thought of the area they said how can "YOUSTANDIT". The name stuck and became Yukatan. Pretty strange but true. |
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