The Spanish word 'macanazo' comes from combining two elements: 'macana' (meaning "club" or "cudgel") and the suffix '-azo'. The base word 'macana' was borrowed from Taíno 'makana', which referred to a wooden club or cudgel used as a weapon. The Spanish suffix '-azo' is added to indicate either a violent blow or strike with something, or to create an augmentative form. Thus, 'macanazo' specifically means "a blow or strike with a club or cudgel".

This word formation pattern using '-azo' to indicate "a blow with X" is common in Spanish, similar to how we get 'puñetazo' (punch) from 'puño' (fist) or 'portazo' (slam) from 'puerta' (door).

The simpler and more common Spanish word 'macana' is directly related to 'macanazo', being its root word. While 'macana' literally means "club" or "cudgel", in modern Spanish it has also developed some colloquial meanings. In some Latin American countries, it can be used to mean "nonsense" or "lie", and something that is 'de macana' can mean something that is really good or impressive.

Since 'macanazo' comes from the Taíno language, which was spoken by indigenous peoples in the Caribbean, there aren't any directly related English words. However, English has borrowed the word 'macana' itself, though it's primarily used in anthropological or historical contexts when discussing indigenous weapons of the Americas.