The Spanish word 'pinga' (a vulgar term for penis) comes from the Spanish verb 'pingar' meaning 'to hang or dangle.' This verb derives from the Latin 'pendicare,' a frequentative form of the Latin verb 'pendere' meaning 'to hang.' A frequentative verb indicates a repeated or intensive action, so 'pendicare' emphasized the continuous or repeated nature of hanging. The semantic development from 'hanging' to its current vulgar meaning is based on the physical characteristic of the male anatomy.

Some related Spanish words that might be more commonly encountered in polite conversation include 'pender' (to hang), 'pendiente' (pending, hanging, or earring), and 'péndulo' (pendulum). All these words share the basic concept of hanging or dangling from their common Latin root 'pendere.'

English speakers might recognize this same Latin root 'pendere' in words like 'pendant' (a hanging piece of jewelry), 'pendulum' (a hanging weight that swings back and forth), 'pending' (hanging or awaiting), and 'perpendicular' (hanging straight down). 'Depend' also comes from this root, literally meaning 'to hang from' before taking on its modern meaning of relying on something.