The Spanish verb 'criticar' (to criticize) traces its roots back to ancient Greek, starting with the verb 'krinein' which meant 'to separate' or 'to decide'. This evolved into the Greek noun 'krisis' meaning 'judgment' or 'decision', which then led to the adjective 'kritikos' meaning 'capable of judging'. The Greeks passed this word to Latin as 'criticus' meaning 'critic' or 'judge'. In Spanish, this became the noun 'crítica' (criticism), and with the addition of the verb-forming suffix '-ar', it transformed into the verb 'criticar'.

This etymology shows how the original concept of 'separating' or 'making decisions' in Greek evolved into the more specific meaning of judging or criticizing in modern Spanish.

Several common Spanish words share this Greek root, including 'crítico' (critical), 'crisis' (crisis), and 'criterio' (criterion). The word 'crisis' maintains a meaning very close to its Greek ancestor 'krisis', referring to a decisive moment or turning point. 'Crítico' can mean both 'critical' in the sense of crucial or important, and 'critical' in the sense of finding fault, showing how the original meaning of 'judgment' split into these different but related concepts.

English speakers will recognize many cognates from this word family, including 'critic', 'criticize', 'critical', and 'crisis'. All these words share the same Greek ancestor. The English word 'criterion' (a standard for judging) also comes from this family, showing how the original Greek concept of 'separation' and 'judgment' has remained influential in modern English vocabulary.