The Spanish word 'respingado' comes from the verb 'respingar', meaning 'to turn up' or 'to resist'. This verb traces back to the Vulgar Latin word 'repedinare', meaning 'to rear back'. The Latin word was formed by combining two elements: the prefix 're-' meaning 'back' or 'again', and 'pes' meaning 'foot'. The original concept was related to the action of pulling back one's feet or rearing back, which evolved to mean turning upward or showing resistance in Spanish. The form 'respingado' is the past participle, used as an adjective to describe something that is turned up, like a respingado (upturned) nose.

A related and more common Spanish word is 'respingo', which means 'a sudden jump' or 'recoil'. This noun comes from the same verb 'respingar' and maintains the core idea of a backward or upward movement. You might also encounter 'respingón', which specifically describes something that is turned up or upturned, particularly when referring to noses.

While English doesn't have direct cognates of 'respingado', we can find related words through the Latin root 'pes' (foot). English words like 'pedal', 'pedestrian', and 'impede' all share this ancient connection to the Latin word for foot. 'Impede', for example, literally meant 'to catch the feet' in Latin, showing how this root word for 'foot' developed into various meanings related to movement and motion.