Uncle
/ˈʌŋ.kəl/noun
A brother of one’s parent, or the husband of one’s aunt.
Did you know?English borrowed uncle through Old French from Latin avunculus, a special word for the mother’s brother, and that same root also gave us the word avuncular—literally tied to the nurturing, protective uncle figure.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂ewh₂-
“maternal relative; mother’s side kin”
Latin
Latin
avunculus
“mother’s brother; uncle”
Old French
Old French
oncle
“uncle”
Middle English
English
uncle
“uncle”
Modern English
English
uncle
“a brother of one’s parent, or the husband of one’s aunt”