The Spanish word 'almacén' (meaning 'warehouse' or 'store') comes from Andalusi Arabic 'almaḫzán', which in turn comes from Classical Arabic 'al-maḫzan'. This Arabic term combines two parts: the definite article 'al-' meaning 'the', and 'maḫzan' meaning 'storehouse'. This is one of many Spanish words that begins with 'al-', which is a clear signal of its Arabic origin, as this prefix was the Arabic definite article that became permanently attached to many words as they were borrowed into Spanish during the centuries of Muslim presence in the Iberian Peninsula.

A related Spanish word is 'almacenaje' (storage), which is directly derived from 'almacén'. Another related term is 'almacenista', which refers to a warehouse keeper or wholesaler. These words form part of a family of terms all related to storage and warehousing in Spanish.

While English doesn't have any direct cognates of 'almacén', it has borrowed other Arabic words beginning with 'al-' such as 'algebra', 'alcohol', and 'algorithm'. The English word 'magazine' actually comes from the same Arabic root 'maḫzan', though it came through a different route and developed different meanings. Originally meaning a storehouse or warehouse, particularly for military supplies, 'magazine' later came to mean a publication, possibly because a magazine contains a collection or store of articles.