Glad you mention the languages coding. It´s the same in Spanish. "Trabajar" (to work) comes from Vulgar Latin *tripaliare "to torture," from *tripalium "instrument of torture" (tres palos, "three sticks"). Or familia (family), from Latin famulus "servant, slave". And so on...
About his-story, it´s extensively explained by Kurtis Kallenbach, someone that probably should be giving a speech at Anarchapulco.