The Spanish word 'muñeco' (meaning 'doll' in masculine form) comes from the feminine Spanish word 'muñeca', which has two meanings: 'doll' and 'wrist'. The word 'muñeca' itself can be traced back to the Basque word 'muno', meaning 'hill'. This semantic evolution from 'hill' to 'wrist' and 'doll' likely occurred because of the round, hill-like shape of both the wrist joint and early dolls or figurines.

The most closely related Spanish word is 'muñeca', which means both 'doll' and 'wrist'. While 'muñeco' is specifically a male doll or puppet, 'muñeca' is the more common and general term for dolls, as well as being the anatomical term for wrist. You might hear 'muñeca' more frequently in everyday Spanish, such as in the phrase 'me duele la muñeca' (my wrist hurts) or 'una muñeca de trapo' (a rag doll).

While there aren't any directly related English words from the same Basque root, English speakers might find it helpful to associate the round, hill-like shape concept of 'muno' with words like 'mound' or 'mountain', even though they're not etymologically related. The connection between a round hill shape and a doll or wrist can help remember the meaning.