The Spanish word 'alimentación' (meaning 'feeding' or 'nourishment') has its roots in Latin. It starts with the Latin verb 'alere' which meant 'to nourish' or 'to feed'. This was combined with the Latin suffix '-mentum' (which was used to form nouns indicating means or result) to create 'alimentum', meaning 'nourishment' or 'food'.

The Latin 'alimentum' evolved into the Spanish word 'alimento' (meaning 'food'). To form 'alimentación', the Spanish suffix '-ción' was added to 'alimento'. The suffix '-ción' is used to create abstract nouns, thus transforming the concrete noun 'food' into the more abstract concept of 'feeding' or 'nourishment'.

A simpler and more common related Spanish word is 'alimento' (food), which is actually the base word from which 'alimentación' is derived. Another related word is the verb 'alimentar' (to feed). These words all share the same Latin root 'alere' (to nourish) and maintain related meanings around food and nourishment.

Several English words are related to 'alimentación' through the same Latin root 'alere'. These include 'aliment' (though somewhat rare, meaning food or nourishment), 'alimentary' (relating to nourishment or the digestive system, as in 'alimentary canal'), and 'alimentation' (the act or process of nourishing or being nourished). The word 'alumni' (graduates) is also distantly related, as it comes from the Latin 'alere' with the original sense of pupils being 'nourished' by their school.