The Spanish word 'tomate' comes directly from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word 'tomatl', meaning 'tomato'. This is one of many words that Spanish borrowed from the indigenous languages of the Americas, as tomatoes were originally domesticated in Mexico and were unknown in Europe before the Spanish conquest of the Americas.

Some related Spanish words include 'tomatillo' (a small green tomato-like fruit), 'tomatera' (tomato plant), and 'tomatada' (tomato-based sauce or dish). All these words are derived from the same Nahuatl root 'tomatl'.

The English word 'tomato' is actually borrowed from Spanish 'tomate', which as we saw came from Nahuatl 'tomatl'. This is why the words are so similar in both languages! English borrowed many words for New World foods and objects through Spanish, which served as an intermediary language between Native American languages and European languages.