The Spanish word 'nariz' (meaning 'nose') comes from the Latin word 'naris' meaning 'nostril', combined with a Latin suffix '-ic'. The Latin term originally referred specifically to the nostrils, but in Spanish, the meaning broadened to refer to the entire nose. This kind of semantic broadening, where a word's meaning expands from a specific part to the whole structure, is fairly common in language evolution.

Some related Spanish words include 'nasal' (relating to the nose) and 'narices' (the plural form of nariz). The word 'narigón' or 'narigudo' (meaning 'having a large nose') are also derived from 'nariz'.

English speakers might recognize the connection to words like 'nasal', 'nares' (the technical term for nostrils in anatomy), and 'narine' (relating to the nostrils). These words all share the same Latin ancestor 'naris'. The scientific term 'naris' is still used in English medical and biological contexts to refer to a nostril, preserving the original Latin meaning.