The Spanish preposition 'de' comes directly from the Latin preposition 'de', which meant 'from', 'down from', or 'about'. Over time, the Latin word maintained its form exactly while slightly narrowing its meaning in Spanish to primarily express 'of' or 'from' relationships.

'De' is one of the most fundamental and frequently used words in Spanish, so there aren't really any simpler related Spanish words to compare it to. It appears as a component in many Spanish compound words and phrases, always carrying its basic meaning of 'of' or 'from'.

While English doesn't have a direct descendant of Latin 'de', we see this prefix in many English words borrowed from Latin. For example, 'descend' (literally 'climb down from'), 'depart' (literally 'part from'), and 'derive' (literally 'draw from'). The Latin 'de-' prefix in English often carries the meaning of 'down', 'away', or 'from' just as it did in Latin.