The Spanish word 'chiquilín' meaning 'little child' is a diminutive form derived from 'chico' (meaning 'small' or 'boy') with the diminutive suffix '-ín'. The word 'chico' itself can be traced back to the Latin word 'ciccum', which referred to the membrane of a pomegranate or more generally to something very tiny. This evolution from describing a tiny membrane to meaning 'small' or 'boy' in Spanish shows how words can develop from very specific concrete meanings to more general concepts over time.

The most common related Spanish word is 'chico', meaning 'small' or 'boy', which is much more frequently used than 'chiquilín'. Other common related forms include 'chica' (girl), 'chiquito/a' (tiny, very small), and 'chiquitín' (tiny one) - all of which share the same root expressing smallness or youth.

While there aren't direct English cognates from the Latin 'ciccum', English speakers might find it helpful to think of words like 'chic' (though this comes from French) or the informal 'chiclet' (a small piece of gum) which, while not etymologically related, share a similar sound pattern and sometimes association with smallness or youth.