The Latin American cookware word related to paella is paila, a broad term for a shallow pan or earthenware bowl.
In several Spanish-speaking South American countries, a paila is used for cooking and sometimes serving food. Depending on the region, it may be made of metal or clay; clay versions are valued for retaining heat. The word can also appear in the names of dishes, such as Chilean paila marina.
The relationship is linguistic as well as culinary. Paila is traced through Old French paele to the Latin word patella, while Catalan paella follows a related historical path. Modern French poêle and Italian padella are also cognates in this family of pan words.
Paila should not be confused with a comal, which is typically a flat griddle used for tortillas, or a budare, another griddle-like cooking surface. Olla is a more general word for a pot rather than a paella-like shallow pan.