The Spanish word 'cerquita' meaning 'very near' or 'really close' is formed from two parts: the word 'cerca' (meaning 'near') and the diminutive suffix '-ita'. The base word 'cerca' comes from the Latin word 'circa' meaning 'around'. The addition of the diminutive suffix '-ita' adds a sense of smallness or endearment, intensifying the meaning to 'very near' or 'super close'.

The most obvious related Spanish word is 'cerca', meaning 'near' or 'close', which is the base word from which 'cerquita' is formed. While 'cerca' indicates proximity, 'cerquita' adds the diminutive to create a more intimate or precise sense of closeness.

English speakers might recognize the connection to words like 'circa', which is borrowed directly from Latin and is used to mean 'approximately' or 'around' when referring to dates (as in 'circa 1900'). Another related English word is 'circle', which also comes from the same Latin root idea of 'around' or 'surrounding'.