The Spanish verb 'sedimentar' (to sediment) comes from the Latin word 'sedimentum', which meant 'sediment' or 'settling'. The Latin 'sedimentum' itself was formed by combining two parts: the verb 'sedere' meaning 'to sit' and the suffix '-mentum' which was used to form nouns indicating a result. So literally, 'sedimentum' referred to what 'sits down' or settles at the bottom.

In Spanish, 'sedimentum' became 'sedimento' (sediment), and then the verb suffix '-ar' was added to create 'sedimentar', meaning 'to form or deposit sediment'.

A simpler related Spanish word is 'sede' (seat, headquarters), which comes directly from Latin 'sedes' (seat), which is related to the same Latin root 'sedere' (to sit). You can see how both words relate to the concept of sitting - sediment is material that 'sits' at the bottom, while a sede is a place where an organization 'sits' or is based.

Several English words share the same Latin ancestry: 'sediment' itself, which is obviously related, but also words like 'sedentary' (involving a lot of sitting), 'sedate' (calm, settled), and 'session' (a period of sitting for some activity). All these words trace back to Latin 'sedere' (to sit). The English suffix '-ment' is also related to the Latin '-mentum' and appears in many English words to show the result of an action.