The Spanish verb 'parecer' (meaning 'to appear' or 'to seem') comes from the Vulgar Latin 'parescere'. This Vulgar Latin word was formed by combining two elements: the Latin verb 'parere' meaning 'to appear', and the Latin suffix '-escere', which was used to form inchoative verbs (verbs that describe the beginning of an action or a gradual change). The combination of these elements evolved into modern Spanish 'parecer', maintaining its core meaning of appearance or seeming.

A common related Spanish word is 'aparente' (apparent), which shares the same Latin root 'parere'. Another frequently used related word is 'aparecer' (to appear), which adds the prefix 'a-' to the same base. These words all share the fundamental concept of appearance or becoming visible.

English speakers might recognize the connection to words like 'appear' and 'apparent', which come from the same Latin root 'parere'. The English word 'appearance' also shares this ancestry. While Spanish 'parecer' focuses more on seeming or appearing in an abstract sense, these English cognates maintain similar meanings related to becoming visible or evident.