Quetzal
/ˈkɛtsɑːl/noun
A brightly colored Central American bird of the trogon family, especially the resplendent quetzal.
Did you know?Quetzal comes from Nahuatl quetzalli, meaning a precious tail feather or plume, and the bird became so symbolically powerful in Mesoamerica that its feathers were treated like sacred currency.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Nahuatl
Nah
quetzalli
“precious feather, long green plume”
16th Century
Spanish
quetzal
“a Mesoamerican bird prized for its brilliant green tail feathers”
19th Century
English
quetzal
“the Central American bird, especially the resplendent quetzal”
Modern English
English
quetzal
“a brilliantly colored tropical bird of Central America”
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