The Spanish verb 'sentar' (meaning 'to sit') comes from the Latin word 'sedentare', which meant 'to make sit'. 'Sedentare' itself was derived from the Latin participle 'sedens' meaning 'sitting', which in turn came from the Latin verb 'sedere' meaning 'to sit'. The evolution from 'sedentare' to 'sentar' involved the loss of the middle 'd' and the final '-are' ending being replaced with '-ar', which is the standard infinitive ending for many Spanish verbs.

Several common Spanish words are related to 'sentar', including 'sentado' (seated), 'asiento' (seat), and 'sedentario' (sedentary). All these words share the same Latin root 'sedere' and relate to the concept of sitting.

English speakers might recognize the connection to words like 'sedentary', 'sedate', and 'sediment' (which settles or 'sits' at the bottom), all of which come from the same Latin root 'sedere'. The word 'sit' itself, while looking quite different, is actually a distant cousin of 'sentar', as both derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *sed- (to sit).