'quiebra' originates from Old Spanish 'quebrar', specifically from Vulgar Latin '*quebrare', where the root is related to Latin 'crepare' which meant 'to make a noise; to break'.

'quiebra' changed from Vulgar Latin '*quebrare' to Old Spanish 'quebrar' and eventually became the modern Spanish noun 'quiebra' (and the verb 'quebrar').

Initially, it meant 'to break or shatter' in a physical sense; over time it evolved to include figurative senses such as 'financial collapse' and the legal sense 'bankruptcy'.