The Spanish word 'discoteca' comes from the French word 'discothèque', which literally meant 'record library' before evolving to mean 'nightclub'. The French word was created by combining two Ancient Greek elements: 'diskos' (δίσκος) meaning 'disk or quoit', and 'theke' (θήκη) meaning 'case or receptacle'. So a 'discoteca' was originally a place to store records or disks, before becoming associated with venues where recorded music is played for dancing.

The Spanish word 'disco' is a shorter, more casual way to refer to a 'discoteca'. You might also encounter 'teca' by itself in words like 'biblioteca' (library) or 'videoteca' (video library), where it maintains its original meaning of a storage place or collection.

English speakers will recognize the word 'disc' or 'disk', which comes from the same Greek root 'diskos'. The word 'discotheque' was borrowed directly from French into English, though it's often shortened to just 'disco'. The '-theque' element appears in English words like 'library' and 'bibliotheca', sharing the same Greek ancestor 'theke' meaning a case or storage place.