The Spanish verb 'mechar' comes from the Spanish noun 'mecha' (meaning 'wick') combined with the verbal suffix '-ar'. The noun 'mecha' itself was borrowed from Old French 'mèche' (meaning 'wick'). The verb developed a specialized culinary meaning: 'to lard' or 'to stuff meat with strips of fat or bacon', likely because the process of inserting strips of fat into meat resembles threading a wick through a candle.

A simpler related Spanish word is 'mecha', meaning 'wick' or 'fuse'. While 'mecha' retained its original meaning referring to wicks and fuses, the verb 'mechar' developed its specialized culinary meaning through the visual similarity between threading a wick and inserting strips of fat into meat.

While there isn't a direct English cognate, English borrowed the French word 'mèche' in some specialized contexts, particularly in the compound word 'meche-training' (a hairdressing technique). The French word 'mèche' can also mean 'lock of hair' or 'drill bit', showing how the concept of a thin, thread-like object extended to different contexts in various languages.