Latin Influence:
* Vast majority: The majority of cognates between Spanish and English stem from shared Latin roots. Both languages inherited vocabulary from Vulgar Latin, the spoken form of Latin that evolved into Romance languages like Spanish and into the ancestor of English (though in a less direct way).
* Examples: "Animal" (Spanish: *animal*), "city" (Spanish: *ciudad*), "human" (Spanish: *humano*), "nation" (Spanish: *nación*)
Other Origins:
* Greek: Both languages borrowed words from Ancient Greek.
* Examples: "telephone" (Spanish: *teléfono*), "democracy" (Spanish: *democracia*), "philosophy" (Spanish: *filosofía*)
* Arabic: English, through its Norman French influence, and Spanish both borrowed words from Arabic.
* Examples: "algebra" (Spanish: *álgebra*), "alcohol" (Spanish: *alcohol*), "zero" (Spanish: *cero*)
* Native American Languages: Spanish, due to its history in the Americas, absorbed words from indigenous languages.
* Examples: "chocolate" (Spanish: *chocolate*), "tobacco" (Spanish: *tabaco*), "cacique" (Spanish: *cacique*)
* Other European Languages: Both languages have borrowed words from other European languages, such as French, German, and Italian.
Important Note: The process of cognate creation is not always straightforward. Some cognates have undergone significant sound changes or semantic shifts over time, making their relationship less obvious.
In Conclusion:
While Latin is a major source of shared vocabulary between Spanish and English, cognates can have origins from other languages as well. Understanding the historical influences on both languages helps us appreciate the fascinating complexities of linguistic evolution.