Tlacatecolotl
/t͡ɬa.ka.teˈko.lo.t͡ɬ/noun
A Nahuatl word meaning a sorcerer, evil spirit, or owl-man, often associated with witchcraft and nocturnal danger.
Did you know?In Nahuatl tradition, the owl was often linked with death, night, and sorcery, so tlacatecolotl became a chilling label for a human touched by owl-like, otherworldly force.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Nahuatl
Nahuatl
tlacatecolotl
“owl-man; sorcerer; evil spirit”
Classical Nahuatl
Nahuatl
tlacatl
“person, man”
Classical Nahuatl
Nahuatl
tecolotl
“owl”
16th Century
Nahuatl/Spanish
tlacatecolotl
“recorded in colonial-era Nahuatl texts as a term for a sorcerer or demonic owl-being”
Modern English
English
tlacatecolotl
“a borrowed Nahuatl term used in discussions of Mesoamerican mythology and witchcraft”