The Spanish word 'palatal' comes from combining the Latin word 'palatum' meaning 'palate' (the roof of the mouth) with the Spanish suffix '-al' meaning 'relating to'. Together, they form an adjective meaning 'relating to or produced by the palate', which is commonly used in linguistics to describe sounds that are articulated by raising the tongue toward the hard palate.

A simpler related Spanish word is 'paladar', which directly means 'palate' or 'roof of the mouth'. This word shares the same Latin root 'palatum' but uses a different suffix. Another related word is 'palatino', meaning 'palatine' or 'relating to the palate', which uses a different but similar meaning-bearing suffix.

The English word 'palate' is directly related, coming from the same Latin root 'palatum'. English also has 'palatal' with the same meaning as Spanish, and 'palatial' (meaning palace-like or magnificent - which actually developed from 'palatine' referring to imperial officials who worked in the palace, though the palace sense developed from the original anatomical meaning of palate/roof of mouth). These connections can help English speakers remember that 'palatal' relates to the roof of the mouth.