The Spanish word 'semilla' (meaning 'seed') traces its origins back to the Latin word 'semen', which also meant 'seed'. This evolved into the Latin 'seminium' (meaning 'seed, seedling'), which then became 'seminia' (the plural form meaning 'seeds'). The word then passed through Mozarabic (the Romance language spoken in Islamic Spain) as 'xeminio' before finally becoming the modern Spanish 'semilla'. This evolution shows how the basic concept of 'seed' has remained constant while the word's form gradually changed over time.

Several common Spanish words are related to 'semilla', including 'sembrar' (to sow), 'siembra' (sowing, planting), and 'semillero' (seedbed). All these words share the same Latin root 'semen' and maintain connections to the concept of seeds and planting.

English speakers might recognize the connection between 'semilla' and the English word 'semen', which comes from the same Latin root 'semen'. While the English word has taken on a more specific biological meaning, both words ultimately derive from the concept of seed or source of new life. The English words 'seminary' (originally a place where plants were grown from seeds, later becoming a school for training priests) and 'disseminate' (to scatter like seeds, to spread information) also share this common ancestor.