Avuncular
/əˈvʌŋkjələr/noun
Kindly, friendly, or like an uncle.
Did you know?Avuncular comes from Latin *avunculus*, meaning “maternal uncle,” a term tied to kinship systems so important in Roman society that the uncle could be a key figure in family power and succession.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*awo-
“grandfather, older male relative”
Latin
Latin
avus
“grandfather”
Latin
Latin
avunculus
“maternal uncle; uncle on the mother’s side”
16th Century
English
avuncular
“of or relating to an uncle”
Modern English
English
avuncular
“kindly, benevolent, and uncle-like”
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