The Spanish word 'tarea' (meaning 'task') has an interesting Arabic origin. It comes from the Arabic word 'ṭariḥa' (طريحة), meaning 'assignment' or 'task', which itself developed from the Arabic verb 'ṭrḥ' (طرح), meaning 'to throw' or 'to assign'. This etymology reflects the historical influence of Arabic on Spanish during the centuries of Muslim presence in the Iberian Peninsula. The semantic development from 'to throw' to 'to assign' and finally to 'task' is quite logical, as assigning work can be thought of metaphorically as 'throwing' responsibility to someone.

While 'tarea' is already a common and fundamental Spanish word, there don't appear to be any simpler or more common Spanish words that share its Arabic etymology.

There aren't any common English words directly related to 'tarea' since they developed from different etymological roots. English words for similar concepts like 'task' and 'assignment' come from Latin and French origins rather than Arabic.