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cozcatl quetzalli.

Headword: 
cozcatl quetzalli.
Principal English Translation: 

sons or daughters (a metaphor) (see Molina)

Orthographic Variants: 
cuzcatl quetzalli
Alonso de Molina: 

cuzcatl quetzalli. hijos o hijas. metaphora.
Alonso de Molina, Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana, 1571, part 2, Nahuatl to Spanish, f. 27v. col. 2. Thanks to Joe Campbell for providing the transcription.

Attestations from sources in English: 

Literally, "jewelry, feathers."

Attestations from sources in Spanish: 

otinechmocnelili in nimocuzqui, in nimoquetzal. Azo nicanaz, azo niccuiz i cententli i cencamatl i hualquiza, i hualhuetzi in moxillantzinco, in motozcatlantzinco = me hiciste bien a mí que soy tu joya, que soy tu pluma fina. Bien cogeré, bien tomaré una palabra que viene a salir, que viene a caer de tu seno (centro de México, s. XVI)
Josefina García Quintana, "Exhortación de un padre a su hijo; texto recogido por Andrés de Olmos," Estudios de Cultura Náhuatl 11 (1974), 178–179.

themes: 
Family, Kinship, Descent
Feathers
Jewelry, Adornment, Accouterments
Metaphors, Proverbs, Riddles