The Spanish word 'alita' comes from combining the Spanish word 'ala' (meaning 'wing') with the diminutive suffix '-ita'. The base word 'ala' itself comes directly from Latin 'ala', which also meant 'wing'. When the diminutive suffix '-ita' is added to 'ala', it creates 'alita', meaning 'little wing' or 'small wing'.

The most obvious related Spanish word is 'ala' (wing), which is the base word from which 'alita' is derived. While 'ala' refers to a full-sized wing, 'alita' specifically refers to a small wing. You might encounter 'ala' more frequently in general contexts, such as when talking about birds' wings or airplane wings.

While English doesn't have any direct descendants from Latin 'ala', there are some scientific and technical terms that use this root. For example, 'alate' (meaning 'having wings' or 'winged') and 'alar' (relating to wings) are technical terms used in biology and anatomy. The word 'aisle' also ultimately comes from Latin 'ala', as it originally referred to the wing of a building, though this connection is much less obvious due to how much the word has changed over time.