Quetzalli
/ketˈsa.li/noun
A Nahuatl word meaning a precious feather, especially the long tail feather of the quetzal bird.
Did you know?In Aztec culture, quetzalli feathers were so sacred and valuable that they were reserved for elite ritual use, making the word feel less like a noun and more like a status spell.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Uto-Aztecan
PUA
*kʷeʔt͡sɨ
“likely the ancestral root behind Nahuatl terms for feathers or tail plumage”
Classical Nahuatl
Nahuatl
quetzalli
“a precious feather, especially a long and beautiful plume”
16th Century
Nahuatl/Spanish
quetzalli
“recorded by early Spanish chroniclers as a valued feather used in elite dress and tribute”
Modern English
English
quetzal
“borrowed bird name and cultural reference tied to the brilliant Central American bird and its feathers”
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