The Spanish word 'meseta' comes from combining the Spanish word 'mesa' (meaning 'table') with the diminutive suffix '-eta'. The word 'mesa' itself comes from the Latin word 'mensa', which also meant 'table'. The evolution from 'mesa' (table) to 'meseta' (plateau) makes intuitive sense - a plateau is like a raised flat surface in the landscape, similar to the flat surface of a table, just on a larger scale in nature. The diminutive suffix '-eta' might have originally implied a smaller or less significant flat-topped elevation, though in modern usage 'meseta' refers to plateaus of any size.

The most obvious related Spanish word is 'mesa', which means 'table'. This is a very common word that Spanish learners typically learn early on. Both 'mesa' and 'meseta' share the concept of a flat, elevated surface - one being a piece of furniture (mesa) and the other being a geographical feature (meseta). In some Latin American regions, 'mesa' can also refer to a plateau or flat-topped hill, showing how closely related these concepts are.

While English 'mesa' is borrowed from Spanish 'mesa', both ultimately coming from Latin 'mensa', it specifically refers to an isolated flat-topped hill with steep sides, especially in the southwestern United States and Mexico. This geological meaning in English is actually closer to 'meseta' than to the original table meaning. The word 'mensa' itself, while not common in everyday English, might be familiar to some as the name of the high IQ society Mensa, which chose its name from the Latin word for 'table' to represent a round table where all members are equals.