The Spanish word 'alubia' (meaning 'bean') has an interesting journey through multiple languages. It originated from the Ancient Greek word 'λόβος' (lobos), which meant 'lobe' (like the lobe of an ear). This became the diminutive form 'λόβιον' (lobion) meaning 'small lobe', and then 'λόβια' (lobia) meaning 'small lobes'. The word then made its way into Arabic as 'لوبيا' (lubya), where it came to specifically mean 'bean'. It then evolved in Andalusi Arabic (the Arabic spoken in medieval Islamic Spain) as 'allúbya', before finally entering Spanish as 'alubia'.

This etymology makes sense when you consider that bean pods have small lobes or segments containing the beans, connecting the original Greek meaning to the current Spanish word for bean.

While 'alubia' itself is a common Spanish word for bean, it doesn't have many etymologically related simpler Spanish words since it entered Spanish through Arabic rather than Latin. Most other Spanish bean-related words like 'frijol' or 'judía' have different etymological origins.

While the Greek root 'λόβος' (lobos) did make its way into English in words like 'lobe' and 'lobule', these entered English through a different path (via Latin and French) and aren't directly related to the Spanish 'alubia'. The connection is interesting though - both 'lobe' and 'alubia' ultimately trace back to the same Greek word describing a rounded, protruding shape.