SC - "paella" originally means 'pan'

[Thomas Gloning]

Master Adamantius wrote:

<< ... but then where does that leave words like pilau and its variants,
which could have made it to Spain across North Africa from Persia? >>

Is there some textual evidence for the use of the word "pilau" and its
variants on its way to Spain?

<< and then it wouldn't explain why every dish called paella is always
based on rice (at least now, and as far as I know) >>

The culinary tradition of Valencia explains this fact. They had a
particular dish with rice and other stuff prepared in a pan. I would not
be surprised if the earliest quotations mentioning this particular
preparations would have something similar to _Valencian pan_.

<< Adamantius (confused now, my confusion not abated by my elation at
seeing the O.E.D. and Larousse discredited >>

Thanks for explaining, what you meant by "Some evidence suggests...".

However, the OED-entry "paella" is very much in spirit with the
'pan'-interpretation:

"paella (...). [Cat. paella, f. OFr. paele (mod. poêle), f. L. patella
pan, dish.] A Spanish dish of rice with chicken, seafood, vegetables,
etc., cooked and served in a large shallow pan. Also fig. [follow
quotations...]"

As to Larousse, my "Grand dictionnaire" does not have an entry for
"paella". Perhaps you are refering to the Larousse Gastronomique. I
never saw this book up to now. What evidence do they quote?

The "Petit Robert" traces the French word to a Spanish word meaning
'pan', too.

Anyway: all of my (and your) references are of little value, unless they
give us some evidence of the use of the word "paella" referring to a
certain culinary dish (the _content_ of the pan), rather to a pan, in
some text.

I will keep my eyes open.

Thomas