The Spanish word 'insectívoro' (meaning 'insectivorous' or 'insect-eating') comes from combining two Latin elements: 'insectum' meaning 'insect' and '-vorus' meaning 'eating or devouring'. This is a compound word that literally describes creatures that eat insects as their primary food source.

A simpler related Spanish word is 'insecto' (insect), which comes from the same Latin root 'insectum'. Other Spanish words that share the '-voro' ending include 'carnívoro' (carnivorous), 'herbívoro' (herbivorous), and 'omnívoro' (omnivorous), all following the same pattern of describing eating habits.

English speakers can easily relate this word to several similar English terms: 'insectivorous', which is exactly parallel to the Spanish word, and 'insect' from the same Latin root 'insectum'. The '-vorous' ending in English (from Latin '-vorus') appears in many similar words like 'carnivorous', 'herbivorous', and 'omnivorous', all describing eating habits of different organisms.