Uncle

Uncle

Uncle (from Latin: avunculus "little grandfather", the diminutive of avus "grandfather",) is a family relationship or kinship, and a parent's male sibling or the male spouse of a parent's sibling. A woman with an equivalent relationship is an aunt, and the reciprocal relationship is that of a nephew or niece. In some cultures and families, children may refer to the cousins of their parents as "aunt" or "uncle". It is also a title of respect for elders (for example older cousins, neighbors, acquaintances, as well as total strangers), especially in Albania, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Maori culture, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Turkey, Hawaii, and most other Pacific Islands. See fictive kinship.

References


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  • Uncle B — Studio album by N Dubz Released 17 November 2008 …   Wikipedia

  • Uncle — Un cle, n. [OE. uncle, OF. oncle, uncle, F. oncle, fr. L. avunculus a maternal uncle, dim. of avus a grandfather; akin to Lith. avynas uncle, Goth. aw? grandmother, Icel. [=a]i great grandfather.] 1. The brother of one s father or mother; also… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • uncle — late 13c., from O.Fr. oncle, from L. avunculus mother s brother, lit. little grandfather, dim. of avus grandfather, from PIE root *awo grandfather, adult male relative other than one s father (Cf. Arm. hav grandfather, Lith. avynas maternal uncle …   Etymology dictionary

  • uncle — [uŋ′kəl] n. [OFr < L avunculus, one s mother s brother, dim. of * avo < IE * awos , maternal grandfather > OE eam, OHG oheim, uncle, L avus, grandfather] 1. the brother of one s father or mother 2. the husband of one s aunt 3. [Old… …   English World dictionary

  • Uncle Al — may refer to*Albert Moss, a Miami disk jockey known as DJ Uncle Al *Albert Lewis, host of the children s television program The Uncle Al Show broadcast from Cincinnati. *Aleister Crowley …   Wikipedia

  • uncle — ► NOUN ▪ the brother of one s father or mother or the husband of one s aunt. ORIGIN Old French oncle, from Latin avunculus maternal uncle …   English terms dictionary

  • Uncle Ho — Allgemeine Informationen Genre(s) Crossover, Pop Gründung 1994 Auflösung 30. Oktober 2004 Neugründung …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • uncle —    Used by a speaker to address the brother of his father or mother, or the husband of an aunt, an uncle in law.    The term is used alone, or followed by the first name of the man concerned, especially if the speaker is a child.    Usage varies… …   A dictionary of epithets and terms of address

  • uncle — I. n 1. British a pawnbroker. A use of the word which arose in the 18th century, referring (probably ironically) to the mon eylender s avuncular assistance. The term was still heard in London in the 1950s and may survive. From the 1980s it was… …   Contemporary slang

  • uncle — [13] Uncle comes via Anglo Norman uncle and late Latin aunculus from Latin avunculus ‘mother’s brother, maternal uncle’ (source also of English avuncular [19]). This was a diminutive noun derived from the prehistoric base *aw ‘grandparent’, and… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • uncle — [13] Uncle comes via Anglo Norman uncle and late Latin aunculus from Latin avunculus ‘mother’s brother, maternal uncle’ (source also of English avuncular [19]). This was a diminutive noun derived from the prehistoric base *aw ‘grandparent’, and… …   Word origins

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