The Spanish verb 'distinguir' (to distinguish) comes from the Latin verb 'distinguere', which meant 'to separate' or 'to distinguish'. The Latin word was formed by combining two parts: the prefix 'dis-' meaning 'separation' or 'apart', and the verb 'stinguere' meaning 'to prick' or 'extinguish'. The combination of these elements created the sense of separating or marking things as different from each other, which evolved into the modern meaning of distinguishing or telling things apart.

A related Spanish word is 'extinguir' (to extinguish), which comes from the same Latin root 'stinguere'. While 'distinguir' developed the meaning of separating or telling things apart, 'extinguir' maintained the meaning closer to the original 'stinguere' in the sense of putting out or extinguishing something.

Several English words are related to 'distinguir' through the shared Latin ancestry. The most obvious is 'distinguish', which comes directly from the same Latin word 'distinguere'. Other related English words include 'distinct' (clearly different), 'distinctive' (characteristic), and 'extinguish'. All these words share the core idea of either separating things from each other or putting something out completely.