The Spanish verb 'robar' (meaning 'to rob' or 'to steal') has an interesting Germanic origin, rather than a Latin one. It can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic word '*reufaną' meaning 'to break or tear.' This evolved into the Proto-Germanic noun '*raubō' meaning 'plunder' or 'booty,' which then gave rise to the verb '*raubōną' meaning 'to rob' or 'to plunder.' This Germanic word was borrowed into Vulgar Latin as 'raubare,' which eventually developed into the Spanish 'robar.' This etymology shows how the concept evolved from the physical action of breaking or tearing to the more specific meaning of taking something that doesn't belong to you.

A related Spanish word is 'ropa' (meaning 'clothes' or 'clothing'), which comes from the same Germanic root relating to plunder or spoils. In medieval times, clothing was often part of the spoils of war or plunder, which led to this semantic development. Another related term is 'robo' (meaning 'theft' or 'robbery'), which is the noun form directly derived from 'robar.'

English speakers might recognize the connection to words like 'rob,' 'robber,' and 'robbery,' which share the same Germanic ancestry. The English word 'robe' is also related, having come from the same Germanic root through French, originally referring to spoils of war (particularly clothing) before narrowing to mean a specific type of garment. This shows how words from the same origin can develop different but related meanings across languages.