cohete (Spanish)
Where does "cohete" come from?
The Spanish word 'cohete' originates from the Latin 'cauda', meaning 'tail.' It entered Spanish via the Catalan 'coet,' likely drawing a metaphorical connection between the trail left by a fireworks rocket and the tail of an animal. Over time, the term expanded its meaning to encompass various explosive devices and, in some contexts, even states of intoxication or complex entanglement.
Full etymology tree
- cohete (Spanish), 'skyrocket'
- borrowed coet (Catalan), 'rocket'
- inherited cauda (Latin), 'tail (animal appendage)'
- inherited *kaudā (Proto-Italic), 'tail'
- inherited *keh₂u-d-eh₂ (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *keh₂w- (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *keh₂u-d-eh₂ (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *kaudā (Proto-Italic), 'tail'
- inherited cauda (Latin), 'tail (animal appendage)'
- borrowed coet (Catalan), 'rocket'
Ancestors
- coet (Catalan)
- cauda (Latin)
Descendants and derived words
- kuwitis (Cebuano)
- kuitis (Maguindanao)
- cinturón cohete (Spanish)
- cohete a la Congreve (Spanish)
- cohete de guerra (Spanish)
- como un cohete (Spanish)
- kuwitis (Tagalog)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris