The Spanish verb 'trastear' comes from combining the noun 'trasto' (meaning 'piece of furniture' or 'junk') with the verbal suffix '-ear'. The word 'trasto' itself can be traced back to Latin 'transtrum' meaning 'crossbeam' or 'bench', which was formed from the Latin prefix 'trans-' meaning 'across'. Over time, the meaning evolved from referring specifically to crossbeams to encompass furniture in general, and eventually to things that might be considered junk or clutter. When combined with the verbal suffix '-ear', it formed 'trastear' which means 'to move things around' or 'to fiddle with' - essentially describing the action of moving or messing with furniture or objects.

A simpler and more common related Spanish word is 'trasto', which means 'piece of furniture' or more colloquially 'junk/clutter'. You might hear 'trastos' (plural) used to refer to miscellaneous household items or things that are in the way. The connection between 'trasto' and 'trastear' is quite direct - 'trastear' is essentially the action of moving around or messing with these 'trastos'.

While not exactly the same, English speakers might recognize the 'trans-' element at the root of this word family, which appears in many English words like 'transport', 'transfer', and 'translate' - all involving movement across or through something. This same Latin prefix 'trans-' meaning 'across' is what gave rise to 'transtrum' (crossbeam) in Latin, which eventually led to Spanish 'trasto' and 'trastear'.