From which Latin word for pan does paella trace its roots?

Paella traces its name through Old French to the Latin word patella, meaning a pan.

The Latin term patella originally referred to a pan or shallow dish. According to the etymological account associated with Joan Coromines, it passed into Old French as paelle, meaning a frying pan, before contributing to the Catalan form paella. The modern dish took its name from the broad, shallow pan in which it is cooked.

This history explains why paella is both the name of a food and, in Valencian and Catalan usage, the name of cookware. The traditional pan has a wide surface and low sides, allowing rice to cook in a relatively thin layer. In Valencia, the pan is commonly used over an open fire, and the rice at the bottom may form socarrat, a prized browned layer.

The word’s history is sometimes simplified or disputed in popular retellings. Some claims connect paella to an Arabic word for leftovers, but the cited Catalan-to-Old-French-to-Latin lineage is the standard explanation presented in this account. Related cookware terms include French poêle and Italian padella.