The Spanish word 'mentalista' (meaning 'mentalist') comes from combining two elements: the adjective 'mental' and the suffix '-ista'. The adjective 'mental' derives from Latin 'mentalis', which in turn comes from the Latin noun 'mens' meaning 'mind'. The suffix '-ista' is used in Spanish to indicate a person who practices or specializes in something, similar to the English suffix '-ist'.

So literally, a 'mentalista' is someone who works with or specializes in mental activities or mind-related practices.

Some simpler related Spanish words include 'mental' (mental), 'mente' (mind), and 'mentalmente' (mentally). All these words share the same Latin root 'mens' meaning 'mind'. The word 'mente' is particularly common and useful for Spanish learners, as it's both a noun meaning 'mind' and is used to form adverbs (like 'rápidamente' meaning 'quickly').

The English words 'mental', 'mentalist', and 'mind' are closely related to 'mentalista'. 'Mental' and 'mentalist' come from the same Latin root 'mens', while 'mind' is a cognate that comes from a related Germanic root. The parallel between Spanish 'mentalista' and English 'mentalist' is particularly clear, as they mean the same thing and are formed in the same way: combining 'mental' with the practitioner suffix '-ist/-ista'.