The Spanish word 'dificultad' (meaning 'difficulty') comes from the Latin word 'difficultas', which was formed from 'difficilis' (meaning 'difficult') combined with the suffix '-tas' (indicating a state or quality). Going back further, 'difficilis' itself was created by combining two Latin elements: the prefix 'dis-' (meaning 'apart' or 'away') and 'facere' (meaning 'to do' or 'to make'). So literally, something difficult was originally thought of as something 'hard to do' or something that pulls away from being easily done.

Some related Spanish words that might be familiar to Spanish learners include 'difícil' (difficult), which comes directly from Latin 'difficilis', and 'hacer' (to do, to make), which evolved from Latin 'facere'. The prefix 'dis-' appears in many Spanish words like 'distancia' (distance) or 'disgusto' (disgust), carrying the same sense of separation or negativity.

English speakers can easily connect 'dificultad' with the English word 'difficulty', which shares the same Latin root 'difficultas'. Other related English words include 'difficult' and words containing 'fac-/fic-' from Latin 'facere', such as 'factory', 'facilitate', and 'fact' (something done or made). The 'dis-' prefix is also common in English, appearing in words like 'disconnect' and 'disappear' with the same meaning of separation or reversal.