The Spanish verb 'otorgar', meaning 'to grant or bestow', traces its roots back to the Latin word 'augere', which meant 'to increase or grow'. From 'augere' came the Latin noun 'auctor' meaning 'guarantor or author' - someone who makes something grow or develop. This evolved into the Latin verb 'auctorare' meaning 'to authorize or confirm', which then transformed into the Vulgar Latin 'autoricare'. Through sound changes over time, 'autoricare' eventually became the modern Spanish 'otorgar'.

You can see how the meaning evolved from the basic concept of 'increasing/growing' to someone who guarantees or authors something, to the act of authorizing, and finally to granting or bestowing something to someone else - all concepts related to giving power or authority.

Some related Spanish words include 'autor' (author), 'autoridad' (authority), and 'autorizar' (to authorize). All these words share the same Latin root 'auctor' and maintain meanings connected to authority, creation, or granting of permissions.

English speakers might recognize the connection to words like 'author', 'authority', 'authorize', and 'augment'. These all come from the same Latin roots as 'otorgar'. While 'augment' maintains the original meaning of 'increase' from Latin 'augere', words like 'author' and 'authorize' developed along similar lines as the Spanish word, relating to authority and granting permission.