The Spanish word 'danta', meaning 'tapir' or 'leather', has an interesting etymology that traces back to Andalusi Arabic. It comes from the Arabic word 'lamṭa', which referred specifically to leather from North Africa. The word evolved in Spanish to 'anta', meaning 'leather' or 'large animal', and then combined with the preposition 'de' ('of') to form 'danta'. This semantic evolution from 'leather' to also meaning 'tapir' likely occurred because tapirs are large animals with notably thick, leather-like skin.

A simpler related Spanish word is 'anta', which means 'leather' or can refer to a large animal. This is actually the direct predecessor of 'danta' and shows the connection between the material (leather) and the animal (tapir) in Spanish vocabulary.

While there aren't direct English cognates from the same Arabic root, English speakers might find it helpful to know that both 'leather' and 'tapir' are acceptable translations for 'danta', reflecting the word's dual meaning in Spanish.