yuma
yuma Lexical Profile
• noun
American A city in southwestern Arizona, United States, situated near the confluence of the Colorado and Gila rivers and widely known for its extremely sunny and hot climate.
"Due to its geographical location, Yuma receives the most sunlight of any populated place in the United States."
American A member of a Native American people, also known as the Quechan, who traditionally inhabit the lower Colorado River valley in Arizona and California.
"The history of the Yuma involves a profound cultural and agricultural connection to the floodplains of the Colorado River."
American The Yuman language historically spoken by the Yuma (Quechan) people.
"Linguists and tribal elders have worked together on revitalization programs to document and teach Yuma to younger generations."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to the indigenous people or their language, the endonym 'Quechan' is often preferred in modern cultural and academic contexts over the historical Spanish exonym 'Yuma'.
• Rhymes for yuma
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Spanish 'Yuma', which was likely adapted from an O'odham (Piman) word 'yahmay', used to describe the indigenous people living along the lower Colorado River.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.