Pater = "mother"?Edit
As of this revision http://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=patron&oldid=5034430 the entry said that "patron" derived from pater meaning "mother". This doesn't tally with anything I've known elsewhere, nor the "pater" entry, so I've changed it to say "father". If anyone has evidence to the contrary, please mention! Rosuav 23:56, 1 September 2008 (UTC)
As per Samual Johnson, "patron" a wretch that supports with indolence and is rewarded with flattery.