Niece
/niːs/noun
A daughter of one’s brother or sister, or of one’s brother-in-law or sister-in-law.
Did you know?English inherited niece through Old French from Latin nepōtem, a word from the same ancient root behind nephew, and in older stages it could refer more broadly to a descendant than the modern family role.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nepōts
“Descendant, grandson, or nephew”
Latin
Latin
nepōs / nepōtem
“Grandson; nephew; descendant”
Old French
Old French
niece
“Niece; female relative”
Middle English
English
nece / nece
“Niece; also sometimes a female descendant or relative”
Modern English
English
niece
“A sister’s or brother’s daughter”