The Spanish word 'algodón' (meaning 'cotton') comes from Andalusi Arabic 'alquṭún', which itself derives from Classical Arabic 'quṭn'. The 'al-' at the beginning of the word is the Arabic definite article (similar to 'the' in English) that was preserved when the word was borrowed into Spanish. The transformation from Arabic 'quṭn' to Spanish 'algodón' shows typical sound changes that occurred when Arabic words were adapted into Spanish, including the addition of the final '-ón' and the softening of 'q' to 'g'.

While 'algodón' itself is a common Spanish word, there are several related Spanish words derived from it, such as 'algodonero' (cotton plant or cotton farmer), 'algodonoso' (cotton-like), and 'algodonado' (padded with cotton). These words maintain the base 'algodón' while adding different Spanish suffixes to create related meanings.

While 'algodón' and the English word 'cotton' refer to the same material, they actually come from different etymological roots. The English 'cotton' comes from Arabic 'quṭn' through Old French 'coton', showing how the same Arabic word entered European languages through different routes and took on different forms. This is why Spanish 'algodón' preserves the Arabic article 'al-' while English 'cotton' does not.