Quetzaltototl
/ket͡sal.toˈtoː.t͡ɬ/noun
A Nahuatl term for a brilliantly plumaged bird; in modern usage it can refer to the resplendent quetzal.
Did you know?In Nahuatl, the same root that gives us Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, appears here too—proof that feathers, divinity, and naming were deeply linked in Mesoamerican thought.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Uto-Aztecan
PUA
*toto
“bird”
Classical Nahuatl
Nahuatl
quetzalli
“precious feather; brilliant plumage; green quetzal feathers”
Classical Nahuatl
Nahuatl
tototl
“bird”
Classical Nahuatl
Nahuatl
quetzaltototl
“quetzal bird; a bird of brilliant green plumage”
Modern English
English
quetzal
“a brightly colored Central American bird, especially the resplendent quetzal”