Coatl
/ˈkoʊ.ɑːtəl/noun
A Nahuatl word meaning serpent or snake, used in English chiefly in names, historical contexts, and Mesoamerican studies.
Did you know?In Nahuatl religion, the serpent was not simply evil: Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, represented wind, learning, priesthood, and cosmic power.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Classical Nahuatl
cōātl
“Serpent or snake”
14th–16th Century
Nahuatl
cōātl
“A serpent; also an element in religious names and place names”
16th Century
Spanish
coatl
“A Nahuatl term recorded by Spanish chroniclers and missionaries”
19th Century
English
coatl
“A term used in English scholarship on Aztec and Nahuatl religion”
Modern English
English
coatl
“A Nahuatl loanword referring to a serpent, especially in Mesoamerican cultural contexts”