restrained, or to talk in an embarrassed tone (see Molina)
Alonso de Molina:
mauhcatlatoani. atado, o empachoso en hablar. Alonso de Molina, Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana, 1571, part 2, Nahuatl to Spanish, f. 54r. col. 1. Thanks to Joe Campbell for providing the transcription.