contraseña
/kontɾaˈseɲa/ · B1 · noun · f
password
🔑 contra + seña = counter + sign: the sign you give back
Seña means a sign or signal, from Latin signum, the same root as English sign. A contraseña was a soldier's counter-sign, the answer to a sentry's challenge. Today it is the answer a login screen asks you for.