The Spanish verb 'tirar' (meaning 'to throw' or 'to pull') has a fascinating journey through ancient languages. It traces back to the Old Persian word 'tigra', meaning 'sharp' or 'swift', which influenced the Parthian word 'tir' meaning 'arrow'. This Parthian term then made its way into Vulgar Latin as 'tirare', meaning 'to shoot (an arrow)'. Over time, as the word evolved into Spanish, its meaning broadened from the specific action of shooting an arrow to the more general concepts of throwing or pulling.

Some related Spanish words include 'tiro' (a shot or throw), 'tirón' (a pull or tug), and 'tirador' (a shooter or a handle for pulling). These words all maintain connections to either throwing or pulling actions, showing how the original concept of shooting an arrow has evolved into a family of related meanings in modern Spanish.

While English doesn't have many direct cognates from this etymology, the word 'tier' (as in levels or ranks) may be distantly related, as it originally referred to rows or ranks of guns or shooting positions. The English word 'tirade' (a long, angry speech) also comes from French 'tirer', sharing the same ultimate origin as Spanish 'tirar', with the metaphorical sense of 'throwing' words.