The Spanish word 'dicha' meaning 'happiness' or 'good fortune' has an interesting etymology that traces back to Latin. It comes from the Latin word 'dicta', which meant 'things that are said'. This 'dicta' was derived from the Latin verb 'dicere' meaning 'to say' or 'to show'. The semantic evolution from 'things said' to 'happiness' likely developed through the concept of good things being said about someone, or good tidings, which eventually came to refer to the happiness or good fortune itself.

Several common Spanish words share this Latin root 'dicere'. For example, 'decir' (to say), 'dictado' (dictation), and 'dicción' (diction) are all related words that maintained meanings closer to the original sense of speaking or saying.

English speakers might recognize this Latin root in words like 'dictate', 'dictionary', 'predict', and 'verdict'. All these words relate to speaking or declaring something. For instance, to 'dictate' is to say something for others to write down, a 'dictionary' contains words that have been written down, to 'predict' is to say something before it happens, and a 'verdict' (literally 'truth-saying') is the spoken decision of a jury.