The Spanish word 'frito' meaning 'fried' comes from the Latin past participle 'frictus', which meant 'fried'. This Latin word was derived from the verb 'frigere' meaning 'to fry or roast'. The same Latin verb 'frigere' also gave rise to the modern Spanish verb 'freír' meaning 'to fry'.

The evolution from Latin 'frictus' to Spanish 'frito' shows a common sound change where the Latin '-ct-' cluster simplified to '-t-' in Spanish, similar to how Latin 'factum' became Spanish 'hecho'.

The most common related Spanish word is the verb 'freír' (to fry), which you'll often see in cooking contexts. You might also encounter 'frituras' (fried foods) or 'fritanga' (fried food, especially street food). All these words share the same Latin root 'frigere' and maintain the basic meaning related to frying.

While English 'fry' might look similar to Spanish 'frito', they actually have different etymological origins. However, English has borrowed some words from this Latin root, including 'fricassee' (a dish of cut-up meat stewed or fried and served in its own gravy), which came through French but ultimately traces back to the same Latin 'frigere'. The word 'fritter' (fried batter containing fruit or vegetables) also comes from this Latin root.