The Spanish verb 'detonar' (to detonate, explode) comes from the Latin word 'detonare', which meant 'to thunder down' or 'to explode'. The Latin word was formed by combining two parts: the prefix 'de-' meaning 'down' or 'away from', and the verb 'tonare' meaning 'to thunder'. This combination created a vivid description of an explosion as something that thunders downward or outward.

A related and simpler Spanish word is 'tono' (tone, sound), which comes from the same Latin root 'tonare'. While 'detonar' specifically refers to the explosive sound and action of detonation, 'tono' evolved to refer to any kind of sound or tone in general. Another related word is 'tronar' (to thunder), which is also derived from Latin 'tonare' and maintains a meaning very close to the original Latin.

English speakers might recognize the connection to words like 'detonate' and 'detonation', which share the exact same Latin origin as Spanish 'detonar'. The English word 'thunder' is also distantly related, as it comes from the same Indo-European root that gave Latin 'tonare'. Other related English words include 'tone' and 'tonal', which like Spanish 'tono' evolved from the sound-related meaning of the Latin root.