The Spanish word 'blanqueamiento' (meaning 'whitening') has its roots in the Proto-Germanic word '*blank', which meant 'bright' or 'shining'. This evolved into the Spanish adjective 'blanco' (meaning 'white'). The verb 'blanquear' ('to whiten') was formed by adding the verbal suffix '-ear' to 'blanco'. Finally, the noun 'blanqueamiento' was created by adding the suffix '-miento' to 'blanquear' - this suffix typically indicates an action or its result, similar to how '-ing' or '-ment' works in English.

Some simpler related Spanish words include 'blanco' (white) and the verb 'blanquear' (to whiten, to bleach). These words are more commonly used in everyday Spanish and share the same root meaning of whiteness or the process of making something white.

While not immediately obvious, the English word 'blank' is actually related to 'blanqueamiento', as they both come from the same Proto-Germanic root '*blank' meaning 'bright, shining'. The meaning evolved differently in English - a 'blank' space is empty or white, while in Spanish the focus remained more specifically on the white color aspect. The English word 'blanch' (to make white or pale) is also related, having come through Old French from the same Germanic root.