The Spanish verb 'aspirar' comes from the Latin word 'aspirare', which meant 'to breathe toward'. The Latin word was formed by combining two elements: the prefix 'ad-' meaning 'toward', and the verb 'spirare' meaning 'to breathe'. When 'ad-' was joined with words beginning with 's-', the 'd' was typically assimilated to 's', giving us 'as-'. Over time, this word evolved from Latin into Spanish, maintaining both its literal meaning of 'to inhale' and developing the metaphorical meaning of 'to aspire' or 'to aim for something'.

Several common Spanish words share the same Latin root 'spirare'. For example, 'respirar' (to breathe, respire) uses the prefix 're-' (again) with the same root. 'Espirar' (to expire, breathe out) and 'inspirar' (to inspire, breathe in) are also related, using different prefixes to modify the basic meaning of breathing.

Many English words are cognate with 'aspirar' through the same Latin root. The most obvious is 'aspire', which shares the same metaphorical meaning of aiming for something. Other related English words include 'spirit' (originally referring to breath or breathing), 'respire', 'inspire', 'expire', and 'perspire' - all of which combine different prefixes with the same root meaning of breathing.