/ˌpænəˈtɛlə/
[noun] A long, thin cigar with a straight side and a small, narrow opening at the end where you light it. It is usually more slender than a regular cigar.
This elegant cigar takes its name from a thin Italian biscuit — because both are long, slim, and delicate.
The word 'panatela' arrives in English through Spanish, but its roots reach back further into Italian, where the word 'panatella' described a long, thin biscuit or a light bread roll. That Italian word came from 'pane,' meaning bread, which itself descended from the Latin 'panis,' also meaning bread. The connection between a biscuit and a cigar is purely one of shape — the slender, elongated form of the biscuit apparently reminded Spanish speakers of this particular style of cigar, and so the name was transferred.
Latin 'panis' is one of the most productive roots in the Romance languages, and it left a remarkable trail of descendants across Europe. From 'panis' came the Italian 'pane' (bread) and the Spanish 'pan' (bread), as well as the Old French 'pain,' which passed into Middle English contexts around food and sustenance. The same root gives English the word 'pantry' — originally a room where bread was stored — by way of Old French 'paneterie,' a place for bread, from 'panetier,' a bread-keeper.
The cigar itself, as a cultural object, rose to great social prominence in the 19th century, and with it came a rich vocabulary for describing the many shapes and sizes available. The panatela distinguished itself by its extraordinary slenderness relative to its length, and it became associated with a certain refinement and elegance. Cuban and Spanish cigar-making traditions were dominant during this period, and it was through those traditions that the term entered the English-speaking world, appearing in American and British sources by the mid-1800s.
Interestingly, the word is sometimes spelled 'panatella' in English, preserving the original Italian double-l spelling, while 'panatela' with a single l reflects the Spanish adaptation. Both spellings coexist in English usage today, with 'panatela' being the more common form in American English and 'panatella' appearing more often in British contexts. This kind of spelling variation is typical of words that entered English through a chain of borrowing — Latin 'panis' → Italian 'panatella' → Spanish 'panatela' → English 'panatela' — with each stage leaving its own small mark on the form of the word.
The broader family of 'panis'-derived words in English is surprisingly large and varied. 'Companion,' for instance, comes from the Latin 'com-' (together) and 'panis' (bread), literally meaning someone you share bread with — a person who eats at the same table. This same logic gave us 'company,' 'accompany,' and even 'pantomime' has no connection, but 'pannier' — a basket traditionally used to carry bread — does, coming through Old French 'panier' from Latin 'panarium,' a bread basket. The humble loaf, it turns out, has shaped the English language in ways both obvious and deeply hidden.