The Spanish word 'collage' comes from French 'collage', which was formed by combining the word 'colle' (meaning 'glue') with the suffix '-age' (indicating an action). The French 'colle' traces back to Vulgar Latin 'colla', which in turn comes from the Ancient Greek word 'κόλλα' (kolla), meaning 'glue'. This artistic technique got its name from the process of gluing or pasting various materials onto a surface to create a composition.

Some related Spanish words include 'cola' (glue) and 'encolar' (to glue), which share the same Greek root 'κόλλα' (kolla). While 'collage' refers specifically to the artistic technique, these related words maintain the basic meaning of adhesion or gluing.

The English word 'collage' is actually borrowed directly from French, just like the Spanish word. English also has related words like 'protocol' (originally meaning 'first glued sheet' in Greek, referring to the first page glued to a manuscript) and 'collagen' (the protein that acts like a glue to hold tissues together), both of which derive from the same Greek root 'κόλλα' (kolla).