“quetzal bird; precious feather”
English borrowed it as quetzal.
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Classical form
quetzalli (quetzal tail feather), from quetza (to raise, stand up)
In Nahuatl quetzalli was the long green tail feather, the bird itself being quetzaltōtōtl; Spanish took the feather word and applied it to the bird. Because the feathers were treasure, quetzal- in compounds and names means precious or beautiful, as in Quetzalcoatl.
1 name on this site uses this word.
Chocolate, tomato, avocado, chili, coyote, ocelot, tamale. English took these from Spanish, and Spanish took them from Nahuatl in the sixteenth century. Most English speakers use a handful of Aztec words before breakfast.
Back to all Nahuatl and Maya words, or see how they combine in Nahuatl names.