The Spanish word 'epíteto' (meaning 'epithet') comes from Latin 'epitheton', which was borrowed from Ancient Greek 'ἐπίθετον' (epitheton) meaning 'added' or 'attributed'. The Greek word was formed by combining two elements: 'ἐπι-' (epi-) meaning 'upon' or 'over', and 'τιθέναι' (tithenai) meaning 'to put' or 'to place'. So literally, it referred to something that was 'placed upon' or 'added to' something else, which evolved to mean a descriptive term or phrase used to characterize someone or something.

Some related Spanish words that share the Greek prefix 'epi-' include 'epidemia' (epidemic), which literally means something that comes 'upon' the people, and 'epígrafe' (epigraph), which refers to writing placed 'upon' or 'over' something.

English speakers will recognize many cognates using the same Greek elements. The most obvious is 'epithet' itself, which is directly related to 'epíteto'. Other familiar words using 'epi-' include 'epidemic', 'episode', and 'epilogue'. The 'thesis' in words like 'hypothesis' and 'synthesis' comes from the same Greek root 'tithenai' (to put/place) that forms part of 'epíteto'.