The Spanish verb 'recibir' (to receive) comes from the Latin verb 'recipere', which meant 'to take back' or 'to receive'. The Latin 'recipere' was formed by combining two elements: the prefix 're-' meaning 'back' or 'again', and the verb 'capere' meaning 'to take' or 'seize'. So literally, the original meaning was about taking something back or taking something again, which evolved into the modern meaning of receiving.

Several common Spanish words share this root, including: 'recibo' (receipt), 'recepción' (reception), and 'receptor' (receiver). The prefix 're-' is also very productive in Spanish, appearing in many words to indicate repetition or backward motion, such as 'regresar' (to return) and 'repetir' (to repeat).

Many English words are related to 'recibir' through the same Latin roots. 'Receive' is the direct English cognate, coming from the same Latin 'recipere'. Other related English words include 'receipt', 'reception', 'recipient', and 'recipe' (which originally meant 'take this' in medical prescriptions). The 'cap-' root from Latin 'capere' also appears in English words like 'capture', 'capable', and 'captive', all relating to the idea of taking or seizing.