The Spanish word 'alcantarillado' (sewage system) has an interesting journey that starts with the Greek word 'kentron' meaning 'center'. This Greek word influenced the Classical Arabic 'al-qantarah', meaning 'bridge', which then evolved into Andalusi Arabic 'alqántara' and subsequently Spanish 'alcántara'.

The word then took on the diminutive suffix '-illa' to form 'alcantarilla' (meaning a small bridge, later developing to mean sewer or drain). Finally, the addition of the noun suffix '-ado' created 'alcantarillado', which refers to the entire sewage system rather than just a single drain.

A simpler related Spanish word is 'alcantarilla', meaning 'sewer' or 'drain'. This is actually the base word from which 'alcantarillado' is formed. While 'alcantarilla' refers to a single drain or sewer, 'alcantarillado' refers to the entire sewage system. You might also encounter 'alcántara', which historically meant 'bridge' though it's now mainly preserved in proper names.

While there aren't many common English words directly related to 'alcantarillado', the Greek root 'kentron' (meaning center) is the source of several English words including 'center', 'central', and 'concentrate'. The semantic connection between bridges and sewers might not seem obvious at first, but both structures serve as central connecting points in their respective systems.