The Spanish word 'sedimento' (meaning 'sediment') comes from the Latin word 'sedimentum', which meant 'settling' or 'sediment'. This Latin word was formed by combining two parts: the verb 'sedere' meaning 'to sit' and the suffix '-mentum' which was used to indicate a result or instrument. So literally, 'sedimentum' referred to the result of something settling or sitting down, which evolved into the modern meaning of particles that settle at the bottom of a liquid.

Several common Spanish words share the same Latin root 'sedere' (to sit): 'sentar' (to sit), 'sentarse' (to sit down), 'sede' (headquarters/seat), and 'sedentario' (sedentary). All these words maintain a connection to the concept of sitting or being settled in one place, just like sediment settles at the bottom.

The English word 'sediment' is a direct cognate of Spanish 'sedimento', as both come from Latin 'sedimentum'. Other related English words from the same Latin root 'sedere' include 'sit', 'seat', 'sedate', 'sedentary', and 'session'. The connection to sitting or settling is clear in all these words. Even 'president' originally meant 'one who sits in front' (from 'prae-' meaning 'before' + 'sedere').