The Spanish verb 'dificultar' (meaning 'to make difficult' or 'to hinder') comes from the Latin verb 'difficultare', which had the same meaning. This Latin verb was derived from the adjective 'difficilis' ('difficult'), which was formed by combining the prefix 'dis-' (meaning 'apart' or 'away') with the verb 'facere' ('to do' or 'to make'). The literal sense was something like 'away from being doable' or 'not easily done'. When this came into Spanish, it maintained its meaning but adopted the standard Spanish '-ar' verb ending.

Some related and more common Spanish words include 'difícil' (difficult), which comes directly from Latin 'difficilis', and 'hacer' (to do/make), which evolved from Latin 'facere'. The connection between these words helps show how 'dificultar' literally means 'to make something difficult'.

English speakers can relate this word to 'difficult' and 'difficulty', which share the same Latin root 'difficilis'. The English word 'fact' and 'factory' are also related, as they come from Latin 'facere' (to make/do). Understanding these connections can help remember that 'dificultar' is about making something difficult or creating obstacles.