Other forms: patrons
A patron is somebody who supports an artist or a cause with money. A patron of the arts, the charity's patron, a wealthy patron.
Before the market for books and pictures existed, a patron was how an artist ate — and the patron chose the subject, which shaped what got made. A patron saint protects a place or a trade. In French and in some restaurants, the patron is the owner.
1nounpatronSomebody who supports an artist or a cause with money.
“A wealthy patron paid for the young painter to study in Italy.”
patron is a supporter.
The Latin pater is father, the word you already have. A patron acts like a father to the cause: paying for it, protecting it, standing behind it.
hooks ontofather
Latin patronus means a protector, from pater, a father. Pattern and padrone are the same word by other roads.
Proto-Indo-European
*peh₂-
Latin
patrōnus
Old French
patron
Middle English
patroun
English, today
patron
Built from
From Middle English patroun, patrone, from Old French patron, from Latin patrōnus, derived from pater (“father”). a doublet of padrone and Patronus and patroon and pattern.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA