The Spanish word 'tardanza' (meaning 'delay') comes from combining two elements: the verb 'tardar' ('to delay') and the suffix '-anza' (indicating a quality or state). The verb 'tardar' evolved from Latin 'tardare' meaning 'to make slow', which itself was derived from the Latin adjective 'tardus' meaning 'slow'. The Spanish suffix '-anza' developed from the Latin suffix '-antia', which was used to form nouns expressing a quality or state of being.

Some related and simpler Spanish words include 'tarde' (meaning 'late' or 'afternoon'), 'tardar' (the verb meaning 'to delay' or 'to take time'), and 'tardo' (meaning 'slow' or 'sluggish'). All these words share the same Latin root 'tardus' and maintain connections to the concepts of slowness and delay.

While English doesn't have many common direct cognates, we do find some related words like 'tardy' (meaning 'late'), 'retard' (to slow down or delay), and 'tardiness' (the state of being late). These words also come from the Latin 'tardus' and share the core meaning of slowness or delay with the Spanish 'tardanza'.