paella

Paella comes from Catalan paella, meaning 'pot' or 'pan,' which traces back through Old French paelle to Latin patella, meaning 'plate' or 'small pan.'

The word started out simply naming the cooking vessel itself, and over time came to name the dish cooked inside it.

Paella is a doublet of patella (yes, the kneecap, also from Latin for 'small pan') and is possibly related to pail.