Spanish word for milk; in English, often used in phrases like 'leche flan' (a caramel custard dessert popular in Latin America and Spain).
From Latin 'lac' (milk), cognate with English 'lactose' and 'lactate.' Spanish retained the Latin form while English developed the Germanic 'milk,' showing how Romance languages preserved more Latin vocabulary.
The Latin root 'lac' appears across English in hidden form—'lactose' (milk sugar), 'lactic acid' (from milk), 'lactation' (milk production)—but we rarely connect these scientific terms back to the simple Spanish word 'leche' that Spanish speakers use every morning for breakfast.
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