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uncle

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also:Uncle

English

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Etymology

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Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European*h₂éwh₂os
Old Frenchunclebor.
Middle Englishuncle
Englishuncle

    FromMiddle Englishuncle, borrowed fromAnglo-Normanuncle andOld Frenchoncle, fromVulgar Latin*aunclum, fromLatinavunculus(“maternal uncle”, literally“little grandfather”), fromProto-Indo-European*h₂euh₂-n-tlo-(“little grandfather”), a dialectal diminutive of*h₂éwh₂ō(“grandfather, adult male relative other than one’s father”) (whence also Latinavus(“grandfather”)). Displaced native Middle Englishem(“uncle”) from Old Englishēam(“maternal uncle”), containing the same Proto-Indo-European root, and Old Englishfædera(“paternal uncle”). CompareSaterland FrisianUnkel(“uncle”),Dutchnonkel(“uncle”),German Low GermanUnkel(“uncle”),GermanOnkel(“uncle”),Danishonkel(“uncle”). More ateam andeame.

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    uncle (pluraluncles)

    2. Thebrother orbrother-in-law of one’sparent.
      • 1907 August,Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter I, inThe Younger Set, New York, N.Y.:D. Appleton & Company,→OCLC,page14:
        And it was while all were passionately intent upon the pleasing and snake-like progress of theiruncle that a young girl in furs, ascending the stairs two at a time, peeped perfunctorily into the nursery as she passed the hallway—and halted amazed.
    3. The malecousin of one’s parent.
    4. (endearing)Used as afictive kinship title for a close male friend of one's parent or parents.
    5. (euphemistic)Used as a title for the male companion to one's (usually unmarried) parent.
    6. (figuratively) A source ofadvice,encouragement, orhelp.
    7. (British, informal, dated) Apawnbroker.
      • December 1843,William Makepeace Thackeray, "Grant in Paris" (review), inFraser's Magazine
        A chain hangs out of the pocket of his velvet waistcoat , by which we may conclude that he has a watch , though we have known many gents whose watches were at theiruncle's (as the fashionable term for the pawnbroker goes)
    8. (especially in the Southern US, parts of UK and South Asia)An affectionate term for a man of an older generation than oneself, especially a friend of one's parents, by means offictive kin.
    9. (Southern US, slang, archaic) An olderAfrican-American male.
    10. (Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Brunei, informal) Anymiddle-aged orelderlyman older than the speaker and/or listener.

    Usage notes

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    Uncle is capitalized when it is used as a title with a name:Have you written to Uncle Fred?

    Synonyms

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    Antonyms

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    • (antonym(s) of“with regard to gender”):aunt
    • (antonym(s) of“with regard to ancestry”):niece,nephew
    • (antonym(s) of“African-American”):boy
    • (antonym(s) of“India”):aunty

    Hypernyms

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    Hyponyms

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    Derived terms

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    Related terms

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    Descendants

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    Translations

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    brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent

    See also: relatedpaternal uncle andmaternal uncle for more translations.

    source of advice, encouragement, or help
    UK informal: pawnbroker—see alsopawnbroker
    close male friend of the parents
    form of address to a man by young people or children in some countries
    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    Interjection

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    uncle

    1. (US, colloquial) A cry used to indicate surrender.

    Derived terms

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    Verb

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    uncle (third-person singular simple presentuncles,present participleuncling,simple past and past participleuncled)

    1. (transitive, colloquial) Toaddress somebody by the termuncle.
    2. (intransitive, colloquial) To act like, or as, an uncle.
      • 1979, Douglas Adams,The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
        Betelgeuse Five, where he both fathered anduncled Ford

    References

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    Anagrams

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    Middle English

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    Alternative forms

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    Etymology

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      Borrowed fromAnglo-Normanuncle, fromVulgar Latin*aunclum, fromLatinavunculus.

      Pronunciation

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      • IPA(key): /ˈunklə/,/ˈunkəl/

      Noun

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      uncle (pluraluncles or(rare, West Midlands) unclen)

      1. uncle (brother of one'sparents)
        Synonym:em

      Descendants

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      • English:uncle (see there for further descendants)
      • Scots:uncle

      References

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      Old French

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      Etymology

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        FromVulgar Latin*aunclum, fromLatinavunculus(“maternal uncle”, literally“little grandfather”).

        Noun

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        uncleoblique singular, m (oblique pluraluncles,nominative singularuncles,nominative pluraluncle)

        1. (Anglo-Norman)alternative form ofoncle
          • c.1170,Wace,Le Roman de Rou:
            D'ambes parz out filz e peres,
            uncles, nevos, cosins e freres
            On both sides there were sons and fathers,
            Uncles, nephews, cousins and brothers
          • c.1250,Marie de France,Chevrefeuille:
            Tristram en Wales se rala, tant que sisuncles le manda
            Tristan returned to Wales, while he waited for hisuncle to call on him

        Scots

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        Alternative forms

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        Etymology

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          FromMiddle Englishuncle, borrowed fromAnglo-Normanuncle andOld Frenchoncle, fromVulgar Latin*aunclum, fromLatinavunculus(“maternal uncle”, literally“little grandfather”), fromProto-Indo-European*h₂ewh₂-n-tlo-(“little grandfather”), a dialectal diminutive of*h₂éwh₂ō(“grandfather, adult male relative other than one’s father”) (whence also Latinavus(“grandfather”)).

          Noun

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          uncle (pluraluncles)

          1. uncle

          References

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