The Spanish verb 'tomar' (to take) comes from Vulgar Latin 'atumare' meaning 'to consider' or 'to take', which itself developed from Classical Latin 'autumare' meaning 'to affirm' or 'to consider'. The evolution from 'autumare' to 'tomar' involved the loss of the initial 'au-' sound and simplification of pronunciation, a common phenomenon in the development from Latin to Spanish words. The meaning shifted from the more abstract sense of 'considering' or 'affirming' to the more concrete action of 'taking'.

'Tomar' is one of the most basic and commonly used verbs in Spanish, so it's actually more likely that Spanish learners will encounter this word before meeting its derivatives. Some related words include 'tomador' (taker), 'toma' (take, intake), and 'retomar' (to retake, to resume).

While there aren't direct English cognates of 'tomar' from the Latin 'autumare', English speakers might find it helpful to know that 'tomar' is often used in contexts where English uses 'to take' - such as taking a bus ('tomar el autobús'), taking medicine ('tomar medicina'), or taking a break ('tomar un descanso').