The Spanish word "paso" (meaning "step") comes from the Latin word "passus", which was the past participle of the verb "pandere" meaning "to spread or extend". The connection between spreading/extending and stepping makes intuitive sense - when we take a step, we extend our leg forward. The Latin "passus" specifically referred to a step or stride, and this meaning was directly inherited by Spanish "paso".

Several common Spanish words are related to "paso". The verb "pasar" (to pass, to go by) comes from the same Latin root, as does "pasillo" (hallway, corridor - literally a place where you step/pass through). "Paseo" (a walk or stroll) is another related word that Spanish learners might recognize.

English speakers can connect "paso" to several familiar English words that share the same Latin ancestry. "Pass", "passage", and "pace" all derive from Latin "passus". Even the word "passport" is related - it originally meant permission to "pass through" a port. The word "compass" is also related, as it literally meant "stepping together" in Latin (com- "together" + passus "step").