The Spanish verb 'merendar' (to have an afternoon snack) comes from the Latin verb 'merendare' meaning 'to have an afternoon meal'. This Latin verb was derived from 'merenda', which referred to the afternoon meal itself. Interestingly, 'merenda' ultimately comes from the Latin verb 'merere' meaning 'to earn or deserve' - suggesting that the afternoon meal was seen as something earned after working through the first part of the day.

A common related Spanish word is 'merienda', which is the noun form referring to the afternoon snack itself. This comes from the same Latin root 'merenda' and maintains a very similar meaning to its Latin ancestor.

While there aren't common English words directly related to 'merendar', the Latin root 'merere' (to earn/deserve) did give English some familiar words. We can see it in 'merit' (deserved reward or recognition) and 'meritorious' (deserving reward or praise). The connection shows how the concept of earning or deserving became associated with both achievement (in English) and with earned rest and refreshment (in Spanish).