The Spanish verb 'mimar' (to pamper or spoil) has an interesting journey from ancient Greek through Latin. It begins with the Greek verb 'mimeomai' meaning 'to imitate,' which gave rise to 'mimos' meaning 'mime' or 'actor.' This was borrowed into Latin as 'mimus' with the same meaning. In Spanish, this evolved into 'mimo' and gained an additional meaning of 'pampering' besides its theatrical sense. The verb 'mimar' was then formed by adding the common Spanish verb suffix '-ar' to 'mimo'. The semantic shift from 'to imitate' to 'to pamper' likely developed through the idea of giving excessive attention or indulgent treatment, similar to how actors might exaggerate or dramatize their actions.

A simpler related Spanish word is 'mimo' (noun), which can mean both 'mime/mimicry' and 'pampering/indulgence.' When someone says 'hacer mimos' it means 'to pamper' or 'to show affection.' You might also encounter 'mimoso/a' which describes someone who likes to be pampered or shows excessive affection.

English speakers can connect 'mimar' to several familiar words that share the same Greek root, including 'mime,' 'mimic,' and 'mimicry.' While these English words retained the original meaning of imitation or copying, the Spanish 'mimar' evolved to emphasize the excessive attention aspect of mimicry. Understanding this connection can help remember that 'mimar' involves giving special, perhaps exaggerated attention to someone.