Let’s check out how a few of the dictionaries define pancakes:
A flat cake made of thin batter and cooked (as on a griddle) on both sides ~ Merriam Webster
A pancake is a thin, flat, circular piece of cooked batter made from milk, flour, and eggs. Pancakes are usually eaten for breakfast, with butter and syrup. ~ Collins dictionary
A thin cake made of batter that is poured onto a hot greased surface and cooked on both sides until brown. ~the Free dictionary
A thin, flat cake of batter, fried on both sides in a pan and typically rolled up with a sweet or savoury filling. ~ Oxford dictionary
Referring to these definitions, good ‘ol wikipedia and from reading Pancake, A global history by Ken Albala (highly recommend this read), a pancake is a thin, flat circular cake made from a batter that is poured onto a hot greased surface and cooked on both sides. This eliminates any other food item that is baked like a cake or bread, or any dough that is rolled and cooked like a tortilla.
Pancakes appear to be a global phenomena that has taken on variable forms. The exact origin is difficult to pinpoint but there is some archaeological evidence that they were consumed by prehistoric peoples. Possibly, they poured their batter onto a greased hot flat stone and came out with something like a pancake. Ancient Romans, Hebrews and Greeks have mention of pancakes. Next up we’ll explore the ancient Roman recipe Ova Sfongia Ex Lacte.
