The Spanish verb 'despertar' (to wake up) has an interesting journey from Latin roots. It begins with the Latin verb 'regere' meaning 'to direct or guide', which evolved into 'pergere' meaning 'to proceed or continue'. This then developed into 'expergere' meaning 'to awaken' - notice how the meaning shifted from movement to awakening. The past participle form 'expergitus' (awakened) evolved into Vulgar Latin 'expertus', which then gave rise to the Spanish adjective 'despierto' (awake). Finally, the verb 'despertar' was formed from this adjective, maintaining the connection to awakening and consciousness.

A common related Spanish word is the adjective 'despierto' meaning 'awake' or 'alert'. When someone says 'estoy despierto' (I am awake), they're using the adjective form that directly preceded the verb 'despertar'. You might also encounter 'despertador' (alarm clock), which is derived from 'despertar' and literally means 'awakener'.

Interestingly, the English word 'expert' shares a connection with 'despertar' through the Latin 'expertus', though their meanings have diverged significantly. While 'expertus' in Vulgar Latin meant 'awakened', it also carried connotations of 'tested' or 'proven by experience', which is the meaning that survived in English. So while Spanish took the 'awakening' sense of the word, English preserved the 'experienced' sense.