"A patio is an outdoor courtyard, usually surrounded by buildings, largely paved and partly planted. The word 'patio' is of Spanish origin and is thought tome from the older word pati (or patu) meaning pasture - the land at the back of a house. Patios were used to keep animals safe at night and, as modern society developed, came to be used as an outdoor living room. This was, of course, the traditional Mediterranean use of garden courtyards."
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