The Spanish word 'cacharro', meaning 'pot' or 'vessel', has an interesting journey from ancient Greek through Latin. It begins with the Greek word 'kákkabos' (κάκκαβος), which meant 'pot' or 'cauldron'. This word was borrowed into Latin as 'caccabus', meaning 'cooking pot'. In Vulgar Latin, a diminutive form 'cacculus' meaning 'small pot' developed.

In Spanish, this evolved into 'cacho' meaning 'piece of pottery'. The modern word 'cacharro' was formed by adding the augmentative/pejorative suffix '-arro' to 'cacho'. This suffix often implies something is large or of poor quality, so 'cacharro' can sometimes carry a slightly negative connotation, referring to an old or unwieldy vessel.

A simpler related Spanish word is 'cacho', which means 'piece' or 'fragment', particularly of pottery. While 'cacho' has come to be used more generally for any piece or fragment, its connection to 'cacharro' through pottery remains clear - a 'cacharro' is essentially a complete vessel made of what could be broken into 'cachos'.

While there aren't any common English words directly related to 'cacharro', the Greek root 'kákkabos' did influence some technical English terms. For example, 'caccabis' is a genus name for some game birds, named after the pot-like sound of their call, though this word is rarely encountered outside of scientific contexts.