The Spanish word 'abuela' meaning 'grandmother' comes from the Vulgar Latin word 'aviola', which was formed by combining the Latin word 'avia' (meaning 'grandmother') with the diminutive suffix '-ola'. This diminutive suffix added a sense of endearment or affection to the word. Over time, 'aviola' evolved into 'abuela' in Spanish through regular sound changes, where the 'v' became 'b' and the 'i' was lost.

A common related Spanish word is 'abuelo' (grandfather), which follows the same etymology but with the masculine ending. The shortened, informal terms 'abu' and 'abue' are also commonly used as affectionate ways to refer to grandparents.

While English 'grandmother' comes from different Germanic roots, there aren't any common English words directly related to 'abuela' through the Latin 'avia'. However, understanding that '-ola' is a diminutive suffix can help you recognize it in other Spanish-English cognates like 'gladiola' (from gladiolus) or 'viola' (a small viol or violin).