The Spanish word 'arepa', which refers to a type of cornmeal cake or patty popular in South American cuisine, comes from the Cumanagoto word 'erepa' meaning 'maize' or 'corn'. Cumanagoto was an indigenous language spoken by the Cumanagoto people who lived in what is now northeastern Venezuela. The word maintained its connection to corn-based foods as it was adopted into Spanish, specifically coming to refer to the flat, round cornmeal cakes that are a staple food in Venezuelan and Colombian cuisine.

As 'arepa' comes from an indigenous American language and represents a uniquely American food item, there aren't any simpler or more common Spanish words that share its etymology.

There aren't any common English words etymologically related to 'arepa' since it comes from an indigenous American language. However, English has borrowed the word 'arepa' directly from Spanish to refer to this specific type of cornmeal cake, though it's primarily used in contexts related to Latin American cuisine.