Quetzal Bird
/ˈkɛt.səl bɜːrd/noun
A brilliantly colored tropical bird of the American family Trogonidae, especially one with long green tail feathers.
Did you know?In Nahuatl symbolism, quetzal feathers were associated with nobility and the feathered-serpent deity Quetzalcoatl.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Nahuatl
quetzalli
“A precious or brilliant feather, especially the long tail feather of the resplendent quetzal”
Pre-Columbian period
Nahuatl
Quetzalcoatl
“Feathered Serpent, the major Mesoamerican deity whose name contains quetzal”
16th Century
Spanish
quetzal
“The bird known for its brilliant plumage and valuable tail feathers”
19th Century
English
quetzal
“A tropical American bird, especially the resplendent quetzal”
Modern English
English
quetzal bird
“A common descriptive phrase for a quetzal, formed from the loanword quetzal and the English word bird”
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