The Spanish word 'futilidad' (meaning 'futility') traces back to the Latin word 'fundere', which meant 'to pour'. From this root developed the Latin adjective 'futilis', which literally meant 'that which leaks' or 'that which cannot hold anything', and by extension came to mean 'worthless'. This led to the Latin noun 'futilitas' meaning 'worthlessness'. In Spanish, this evolved into 'futilidad', formed by combining the adjective 'fútil' with the suffix '-idad' which forms abstract nouns indicating a quality or state.

A simpler related Spanish word is 'fútil', which means 'futile' or 'worthless'. This adjective comes directly from Latin 'futilis' and is the base word from which 'futilidad' is formed. Understanding 'fútil' can help you remember that 'futilidad' refers to the quality or state of being futile or worthless.

The English words 'futile' and 'futility' are perfect cognates with the Spanish 'fútil' and 'futilidad', as they share the same Latin ancestry. Both languages preserved the original meaning of 'worthless' or 'ineffective'. The connection between these words is very straightforward since they look and mean almost exactly the same thing in both languages.