The Spanish verb 'etiquetar' (to label) comes from the Spanish noun 'etiqueta' (label) combined with the verbal suffix '-ar'. The noun 'etiqueta' was borrowed from French 'étiquette' meaning 'label', which ultimately traces back to the Germanic root '*stikken' meaning 'to stick or pierce'. This etymology reflects how labels were originally small pieces that would be stuck or attached to items.

A simpler and more common related Spanish word is 'etiqueta', which means 'label' or 'tag'. This noun is very closely related to the verb 'etiquetar' since the verb was derived directly from it. 'Etiqueta' is also commonly used to mean 'etiquette' or 'protocol', similar to its French origin, showing how the concept of proper labels evolved to include proper behavior.

The English word 'etiquette' is a direct cousin of 'etiquetar', as both come from the same French word 'étiquette'. While the Spanish term maintained the concrete meaning of 'labeling', English 'etiquette' evolved to focus exclusively on the metaphorical meaning of proper social behavior and manners. Additionally, the Germanic root '*stikken' that gave rise to these words is also the ancestor of the English word 'stick', showing the original physical concept of attaching or fastening that underlies these terms.