The Spanish verb 'latir' comes from the Latin word 'glattire', which meant 'to yelp' or 'to give sharp barks'. Over time, the meaning expanded in Spanish to include not just the barking of dogs, but also the beating or pulsing of a heart. This semantic expansion likely occurred because both a dog's bark and a heartbeat are rhythmic, repetitive sounds or movements.

The word 'latir' is fairly basic in Spanish and is commonly used in phrases like 'el corazón late' (the heart beats) or 'el perro late' (the dog barks). You might also encounter related words like 'latido' (heartbeat) or 'palpitación' (palpitation), which share the same root.

While there aren't any common English words directly related to 'latir', English speakers might find it helpful to think of onomatopoeic words like 'yap' or 'yelp' which capture similar sounds to the original Latin 'glattire'. The heart-related meaning might be connected mentally to words like 'palpitate' or 'flutter', though these aren't etymologically related.