The Spanish verb 'picar' (meaning 'to prick' or 'to sting') traces back to the Latin word 'picare' meaning 'to peck or strike'. This Latin verb was derived from 'picus', which meant 'woodpecker' - a bird known for pecking or striking wood with its beak. The modern Spanish verb 'picar' was also influenced by the Spanish noun 'pico' (meaning 'beak' or 'peak') combined with the common Spanish verb suffix '-ar'.

The semantic evolution from 'to peck' to 'to prick/sting' is quite natural, as both actions involve a sharp, pointed contact - whether from a bird's beak or any other sharp object or sensation.

A closely related and simpler Spanish word is 'pico', meaning 'beak' or 'peak'. This connection makes intuitive sense since a beak is the pricking/pecking tool of a bird, and a mountain peak has a pointed shape that could metaphorically 'prick' the sky. Other related words include 'picante' (spicy/hot - something that 'stings' the tongue) and 'picadura' (a sting or bite).

While English 'pick' and 'peck' might seem related, they actually have different etymological roots. However, English has borrowed some related words from Spanish, such as 'peak' (from Spanish 'pico') and 'picador' (a horseman in a bullfight who 'pricks' the bull with a lance). The word 'piquant' (sharp or stimulating to the taste) also shares this root, coming through French but ultimately from the same Latin origin as Spanish 'picar'.