The Spanish word 'fríjol' (meaning 'bean') has its origins in Ancient Greek 'phaselos', which referred to a type of legume. This word was borrowed into Latin as 'phaseolus', keeping its meaning of 'bean'. The word then evolved into Old Spanish as 'frisol', and finally into the modern Spanish 'fríjol'. This evolution shows typical sound changes, where the Greek 'ph' (φ) sound became 'f', and the middle sounds simplified over time.

In Spanish, you might also see variants like 'frejol' or 'frísol', which are regional variations of the same word used in different Spanish-speaking countries. All these forms share the same etymology and refer to beans.

While the English word 'bean' is not related to 'fríjol', English borrowed the scientific Latin term 'Phaseolus' (from the same Greek root) as a genus name for various beans. You might recognize this in scientific names like 'Phaseolus vulgaris', which is the scientific name for the common bean.