The Spanish lado (“side”) comes from the Latin latus (“wide”).
There are many surprising English words from the same Latin root. “Surprising” largely because the l‑t sound was preserved in English, but evolved into the similar l‑d sound in Spanish – thus making the connection less obvious and still interesting.
Some examples include:
- Lateral, and its variations such as, unilateral, bilateral and multilateral.
- Latitude: the latitude is literally the width from one side to the other.
- Dilate: a dilation is indeed a widening.
- Relate: literally means, “to go back to the side”; relating to someone is going to their side of the fence!
- Elation: From the Latin ex-latus (and ex- is, of course, “above”); thus literally, “rising above the sides”.
- Collateral: From com + latus (com is Latin for “with, together”, like the Spanish con-); thus literally meaning, “side by side”.
- Translate: Since trans- is Latin for “across”, a translation is literally, “bringing something from one side across to another.”
