The Spanish word 'abono' comes from the verb 'abonar' meaning 'to make good.' The verb 'abonar' was formed from combining the Latin prefix 'ad-' meaning 'toward' and the Latin word 'bonus' meaning 'good,' plus the Spanish verb suffix '-ar'. Over time, 'abono' developed two main meanings: 'fertilizer' (something that makes soil good) and 'payment' (something that makes good on a debt).

The semantic development is quite logical - fertilizer improves or 'makes good' the soil, while a payment improves or 'makes good' one's financial standing. This shows how the original Latin concept of 'toward good' evolved into practical applications in Spanish.

Some related Spanish words include 'bueno' (good), which comes from the same Latin root 'bonus'. You can see how 'abono' and 'bueno' share this connection to the basic concept of 'goodness' - while 'bueno' directly means 'good', 'abono' is something that makes something else good.

English speakers might recognize the connection to words like 'bonus' and 'bonify', which come from the same Latin root 'bonus' meaning 'good'. Just as a bonus is something good given extra, and to bonify means to make something better, 'abono' refers to things that improve or make something better - whether it's soil through fertilizer or a debt through payment.