The Spanish verb 'rizar' (meaning 'to curl') comes from the Spanish noun 'rizo' (meaning 'curl') combined with the verbal suffix '-ar'. The noun 'rizo' itself traces back to the Latin word 'ericius', which meant 'hedgehog'. This etymology makes intuitive sense when you think about a hedgehog's spiky, curled-up appearance - the connection between a hedgehog's bristles and curly hair or other curled objects helped shape the modern Spanish meaning.

A simpler and more common related Spanish word is 'rizo' (noun meaning 'curl' or 'ringlet'). While 'rizar' is the action of curling something, 'rizo' is the curl itself. You might also encounter 'rizado/a' (the past participle used as an adjective) meaning 'curled' or 'curly'.

While there aren't direct English cognates from the Latin 'ericius', the word 'hedgehog' itself presents an interesting parallel - both the original Latin term and the English word refer to the animal's distinctive spiky, curled appearance. The scientific name for hedgehog genus, 'Erinaceus', is also derived from the same Latin root 'ericius'.