The Spanish verb 'desnudar' (meaning 'to undress') comes from the Latin verb 'denudare' meaning 'to strip bare.' The Latin verb was formed by combining the intensive prefix 'de-' with the adjective 'nudus' meaning 'naked.' When this word entered Spanish, the Latin prefix 'de-' was replaced with the Spanish prefix 'des-', which often indicates reversal or removal of something.

A related and simpler Spanish word is 'nudo' meaning 'naked' or 'bare,' which comes directly from the same Latin root 'nudus.' You can see how 'desnudar' literally means 'to make naked' or 'to remove clothes.'

English speakers might recognize the connection to the word 'nude,' which also comes from Latin 'nudus.' The word 'denude' is even more closely related, as it comes directly from Latin 'denudare' and means 'to strip bare' or 'to make naked,' though it's typically used in more formal or scientific contexts, like describing the erosion of soil from a landscape.