The Spanish word 'colibrí' (hummingbird) comes from French 'colibri', which ultimately derives from the Occitan word 'colubro' meaning 'snake'. While this etymology might seem surprising, it's believed that the connection comes from the quick, darting movements of hummingbirds that might have reminded observers of a snake's rapid strikes. The word made its way through French before being adopted into Spanish with the addition of an accent on the final 'i'.

While 'colibrí' itself is a relatively simple and common Spanish word, there is a related Spanish word 'culebra' (snake) which comes from the Latin 'colubra'. Though they developed separately, both words share a distant connection to terms referring to snake-like movement.

While English 'hummingbird' is not etymologically related to 'colibrí', English has borrowed the word directly as 'colibri', though it's used much less frequently than 'hummingbird'. The word can sometimes be found in scientific contexts or specialized discussions about hummingbirds.