The Spanish word 'anteanoche' meaning 'the night before last' is formed from two main components. The first part comes from the Latin 'ante' meaning 'before', and the second part is the Spanish word 'anoche' meaning 'last night'. The word 'anoche' itself comes from Latin 'hac nocte' meaning 'this night', where 'hac' meant 'this' and 'nocte' meant 'night'. Over time, 'hac nocte' evolved into Spanish 'anoche', and when combined with 'ante-', it creates 'anteanoche' to refer to the night that came before last night.

A simpler and more common related Spanish word is 'anoche' meaning 'last night', which is actually part of 'anteanoche'. Another common Spanish word sharing the 'ante-' element is 'antes' meaning 'before', which appears in many Spanish expressions. Understanding these connections can help you remember that 'anteanoche' refers to a night that came before 'anoche' (last night).

Several English words share roots with 'anteanoche'. The Latin 'ante' gives us English words like 'anterior' (situated before or in front), 'antecedent' (something that came before), and 'anticipate'. The 'nocte' part is related to English words like 'nocturnal' (active at night), 'equinox' (equal night), and 'nighttime'. These connections can help you remember that 'anteanoche' refers to a point in time during the night that came before last night.