The Spanish word 'zarigüeya', meaning 'opossum', comes from the Old Portuguese word 'çarigueia', which had the same meaning. This is one of many words that Spanish borrowed from Portuguese during the period of maritime exploration and colonization of the Americas, as Portuguese sailors and explorers encountered these marsupials in the New World.

Since 'zarigüeya' entered Spanish directly from Portuguese and refers to a New World animal, there aren't many simpler or more common Spanish words that share its etymology.

While 'zarigüeya' and the English word 'opossum' refer to the same animal, they are not etymologically related. The English word 'opossum' comes from a different Native American language source (Powhatan). There aren't any common English words that share the etymology of 'zarigüeya'.