Description:

The term 'pat' refers to containers and containing. There is a popular folk etymology that it was borrowed from the English 'pot', but it is definitely an Old Common word.

This term is very often employed in an abstract or metaphorical way, such as media productions as 'patkija' or 'content', much as the word 'contain' may be used in English, actually.

Pat tends to be overused in Common, applied to a lot more circumstances than the English 'contain'. It appears in a lot of expressions and figures of speech.

Verb:

As a verb, 'pat' is a semitransitive noxaj verb that takes an absolutive subject that is the container and a dative object that is the thing contained. It is often used in happat causitive form where an ergative agent that puts the thing contained in the container is added. The structure of this verb is not at all intuitive, the sense is like using the container to give containment to the thing contained.

Pat shows up often as a verb for to be at a place when the emphasis is on the place, especially structures and vehicles.

The derived form 'patkija' means 'content'.

Noun:

As a noun, the basic meaning of 'pat' is the container. This idea can equivalently be exposed as 'patka' to emphasize the role. The derived form 'patkija' refers to 'content', as in, that which is contained. The derived form 'patysyn' refers to containment as a generality.

In a noun context, pat is like the place equivalent of 'thingamajig'. A pat can be anything from a box to a pocket to a holding cell, anywhere you might stow something.

Modifier:

The derived form 'patys' generally has the sense of 'contained,' thinking more about the contents, but can also have the sense of 'integral, effective,' thinking about the container itself.​​​