Origin: bef. 1000; ME payle wooden container, continuing OE pægel wine container, liquid measure (of unknown orig.; cf. MD, LG pegel half pint), by assoc. with OF paielle pan < L patella;see patella
1392, from O.Fr. paielle "warming pan, liquid measure, bath," possibly from L. patella "small pan, dish," dim. of patina "broad shallow pan." O.E. had pægel "wine vessel," but etymology does not support a connection. This word is possibly from M.L. pagella "a measure," from L. pagella "column," dim. of pagina (see page (1)).
[peyl] 
