The Spanish word 'frijol' (meaning 'bean') has an interesting journey through ancient languages. It comes from an earlier Spanish form 'frejol', which was borrowed from the Latin word 'phaseolus' (also meaning 'bean'). Going even further back, the Latin term originated from Ancient Greek 'phaselos', which specifically referred to kidney beans. Over time, as the word passed from Greek through Latin and into Spanish, the pronunciation simplified, dropping the 's' sound and transforming 'ph' into 'f', eventually giving us the modern Spanish 'frijol'.

The older form 'frejol' is still used in some Spanish-speaking regions as a variant of 'frijol'. Both forms refer to the same thing - beans - and are equally valid, though 'frijol' is more common in modern Spanish.

While not immediately obvious, the English word 'phaselous' (a scientific genus name for certain beans) comes from the same Greek root as 'frijol'. This term is mainly used in botanical contexts, such as 'Phaseolus vulgaris' - the scientific name for common beans. Though this might not be a commonly used English word, understanding this connection helps show how both English and Spanish preserved this ancient Greek word for beans, albeit in different ways.