The Latin root patr means “father.” Follow along with me, compatriots of roots, and we will talk all about the root patr which has “fathered” a good number of English vocabulary words.
A patron of the arts is etymologically a “father” who supports and protects artists by funding their artistic endeavors. Good patrons should never be patronizing, for to patronize is to act like an overbearing and arrogant “father” who treats others like his inferior and immature children. And patrons would most certainly not perpetrate or become the “fathers” of crimes against those artists they are supporting!
Men’s paternal or “fatherly” feelings often arise after their children are born, at which point they experience paternity, or "father"hood. A patriarch, or male leader of a family or tribe, also feels like a “father” to those whom he looks over. A nation can also be considered a “father” as in a "father"land; a patriot supports that "father"land, for which he feels a great deal of patriotism. All the patriots of a "father"land are compatriots, being those “patriots” that live within the same "father"land. Some patriots are expatriated or thrown out of the "father"land for committing serious crimes; others willingly become expatriates for a whole host of reasons. Some expatriates wish to be repatriated, or allowed to return to their "father"land once again.
Last but not least, a patronymic is a family surname derived from the last name of the “father” in contradistinction to the last name of the mother.
Hopefully the verbal pattern patr has been sufficiently “fathered” in your head so as to create a memory that will not so easily disappear—no deadbeat “fathering” here!
- patron: “father” or protector
- patronize: to treat someone as a “father” would treat immature children who know little
- perpetrate: to “father” an action, such as a crime
- paternal: of a “father”
- paternity: "father"hood
- patriarch: “father” who rules
- patriot: supporter of the "father"land
- patriotism: condition or state of supporting the "father"land
- compatriot: supporter of the "father"land with whom other patriots live
- expatriate: to kick someone out of her or his "father"land
- repatriate: to allow someone back into his or her "father"land once again
- patronymic: a surname in a family derived from the last name of the “father”