From a previous post:

“Two of the most common titles require brief explanations: iry pat, also read ra pat, is sometimes translated ‘hereditary noble,’ although this translation does not convey the full meaning. The word pat expressed nobility as a religious or mythological concept rather than indicating any social class within the administration, and its counterpart for the ordinary people was rekhyt. iry pat thus means either “concerned with the pat ” or (read ra pat) “mouth of the pat”; either way it expresses the most senior noble rank and usually appears first in a title sequence. It is occasionally applied to women.” (Strudwick 2005: 27)

[www.maatforum.com]

Chris