The Spanish word 'cocada' (coconut candy) comes from combining 'coco' (coconut) with the suffix '-ada', which is used to create nouns indicating a product or food made from something. The word 'coco' itself can be traced back to the Latin word 'coccus' meaning 'berry', which in turn comes from the Ancient Greek 'κόκκος' (kokkos) meaning 'berry' or 'grain'. Over time, the meaning evolved from referring to a small round fruit or grain to specifically denoting the coconut in Spanish, likely due to the round shape of coconuts.

The most obvious related Spanish word is 'coco' (coconut), which is simpler and more commonly used. You'll find this word pattern in many Spanish food words that use the '-ada' suffix to indicate something made from the base ingredient, like 'limonada' (lemonade) from 'limón' or 'naranjada' (orangeade) from 'naranja'.

While English 'coco' and 'coconut' are related, they were actually borrowed from Spanish and Portuguese during the colonial era. However, there are some English words that share the ancient Greek root 'kokkos', such as 'coccus' (a scientific term for certain bacteria shaped like round berries) and 'coccoid' (meaning berry-shaped).