The Spanish verb 'notar' comes directly from the Latin verb 'notare', which meant 'to mark' or 'to note'. The meaning has remained remarkably stable over time, with the modern Spanish 'notar' maintaining the core sense of observing or taking note of something.

Several common Spanish words share this Latin root, including 'nota' (note), 'notable' (notable, remarkable), and 'anotación' (annotation). All these words preserve the basic concept of marking, noting, or recording something of importance.

English speakers can easily connect 'notar' to several familiar English words that come from the same Latin source: 'note', 'notation', 'notable', and 'notice'. Just as in Spanish, all these English words relate to the act of observing, marking, or recording something significant.