The Spanish word 'vía' comes directly from the Latin word 'via', which meant 'way, road, or path'. This is a straightforward etymology where both the meaning and the form have remained essentially unchanged from Latin to modern Spanish.

Several common Spanish words and expressions incorporate 'vía', such as 'ferrovía' (railway), which combines 'ferro' (iron) with 'vía', and 'desviar' (to deviate), which literally means to go away from the path. The preposition 'a través de' (through, by way of) also carries this notion of movement along a path.

English has borrowed many words from the Latin 'via', including 'via' itself, which is used as a preposition meaning 'by way of' or 'through'. Other related English words include 'viaduct' (a bridge carrying a road), 'trivial' (originally meaning 'where three roads meet'), and 'obvious' (literally meaning 'lying in the way'). The word 'voyage' is also distantly related, having evolved from Latin 'via' through French.