ENGLISH
REFERENCE

yemen

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈjɛmən// yemen Archaic

n. a country located at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is known for its ancient history and unique architecture.

n. a sovereign state in Western Asia, situated at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Proper noun; functions as the head of a noun phrase without an article.


SIMPLE

The capital city of Yemen is Sana'a.

CONTEXTUAL

Yemen has a long history as a center for the spice trade due to its strategic location on the Red Sea.

COMPLEX

Scholars often study Yemen for its remarkably preserved mud-brick skyscrapers in Shibam, which represent some of the oldest examples of vertical urban planning in the world.

Origin

From Arabic اَلْيَمَن (al-yaman), from Proto-Semitic *yamīn- (“right; right hand”).

Usage

As a proper noun, it is used without a definite article ('the').

Pitfall

I am traveling to the YemenI am traveling to YemenUnlike 'the Netherlands' or 'the UK', Yemen does not take a definite article in modern English.

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