The semantic development of ME pageant from the CL pagina 'page', has long puzzled etymologists. L. Spitzer, in 'Pagent = Lat. Pagina,' The American Journal of Philology, 64.3 (1943), pp. 327-330 outlines this theory. W. Rothwell, in “Anglo-Norman Lexis,” Medieval French Textual Studies In Memory of T.B.W. Reid. London: Anglo-Norman Text Society, 1984, p.175, further comments on the development of pagine and pagent. The DMLBS attests the use of pagina in the sense of 'pageant, play' from 1376, as well as the form pagenta from 1390, thus preceding the use of the AN and ME forms by only a few years. The attestations in YMB are largely from undated material, but the term seems to have been used from about 1388 in AN and 1403 in ME. Forms with and without -t are included in the MED / OED articles.