The Spanish word 'certamen' comes directly from the Latin word of the same spelling, 'certamen', which meant 'contest' or 'competition'. This Latin word was formed by combining the verb 'certare' (meaning 'to compete' or 'to strive') with the suffix '-men' (which was used to form nouns indicating a result or means of an action).

Going back further, 'certare' itself derived from the Latin verb 'cernere', which meant 'to sift, distinguish, or separate'. This shows how the concept of competition evolved from the basic idea of separating or distinguishing things from each other - just as a contest helps distinguish winners from other participants.

Some related Spanish words that might be more familiar include 'cierto' (meaning 'certain' or 'true') and 'acertar' (meaning 'to guess correctly' or 'to succeed'). These words share the same Latin root 'cernere' and maintain the core idea of distinguishing or determining something with certainty.

English speakers might recognize the connection to words like 'certain', 'discern', and 'concern', which all trace back to the same Latin root 'cernere'. Just as 'certamen' involves distinguishing winners through competition, these English words involve distinguishing or separating things in different ways - being 'certain' means having distinguished the truth, while to 'discern' means to distinguish or recognize something.