patella

Where does the word "patella" come from? It comes from Latin patella, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

Patella’s story begins in Latin: patella meant “a small pan.” Literally a small pan, a diminutive of patina (a shallow dish), describing the bone's flat, rounded shape. It reached English by 1600s as patella. Latin 'small dish', from the kneecap's shape. Today, patella means the kneecap, a small bone protecting the front of the knee joint.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient patella "a small pan", literally a small pan, a diminutive of patina (a shallow dish), describing the bone's flat, rounded shape.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s patella "the kneecap", Latin 'small dish', from the kneecap's shape.