The Spanish word 'enajenación' (meaning 'alienation') has its roots in Latin, tracing back through several evolutionary steps. It begins with the Latin word 'alius' meaning 'other', which developed into 'alienus' meaning 'belonging to another'. From this came the Latin verb 'alienare' meaning 'to transfer or estrange'. In Medieval Latin, this was combined with the prefix 'in-' (meaning 'in, into') to form 'inalienare'. This evolved into the Spanish verb 'enajenar', and finally, with the addition of the Spanish suffix '-ción' (indicating an action or effect), we get 'enajenación'.

The semantic development from 'other' to 'alienation' makes intuitive sense - when something belongs to another (alienus) or is transferred away (alienare), it becomes separated or alienated from its original owner or state.

A simpler related Spanish word is 'ajeno', meaning 'foreign' or 'belonging to another', which comes from the same Latin root 'alienus'. You can see how both 'ajeno' and 'enajenación' share the concept of separation or otherness, with 'ajeno' describing something foreign or belonging to others, while 'enajenación' refers to the process of becoming separated or alienated.

English speakers might recognize the connection to words like 'alien' and 'alienation', which share the same Latin ancestry through 'alienus' and 'alienare'. Just as 'enajenación' refers to a state of alienation or estrangement, the English word 'alienation' carries similar meanings of separation, estrangement, or psychological isolation. An 'alien' in English originally meant a foreigner or outsider before it took on its science fiction meaning of extraterrestrial beings.