The Spanish word 'temblor' (meaning 'trembling' or 'earthquake') comes from the Spanish verb 'temblar' meaning 'to tremble', combined with the Latin suffix '-or' which forms nouns indicating a result or effect. The verb 'temblar' itself derives from Latin 'tremulare' (to tremble), which comes from the Latin adjective 'tremulus' (trembling). The evolution from Latin 'tremulare' to Spanish 'temblar' shows a common sound change where 'r' became 'l' and the unstressed 'u' was lost.

The most common related Spanish word is the verb 'temblar' (to tremble/shake), which you'll hear in everyday speech. You might also encounter 'tembleque' (shaking/trembling) or 'tembloroso' (trembling/shaky). All these words share the same root meaning of trembling or shaking motion.

English speakers might recognize the connection to words like 'tremor', 'tremble', and 'tremulous', which all come from the same Latin root 'tremulus'. While Spanish changed the 'r' to 'l' (tremulare → temblar), English kept forms closer to the original Latin. Both 'temblor' and 'tremor' refer to shaking movements, with 'temblor' being particularly associated with earthquakes in Spanish.