An uncle is usually defined as a male kinship who is a sibling of a parent or married to a sibling of a parent, as well as the parent of the cousins. Uncles who are consanguineous are second-degree relatives. The female counterpart of an uncle is an aunt, and the reciprocal relationship is that of a nephew or niece. The word comes from , the diminutive of avus (grandfather), and is a family relationship within an extended or immediate family.
In some cultures and families, children may refer to the cousins of their parents as uncle (or aunt). It is also used as a title of respect for older relatives, neighbours, acquaintances, family friends, and even total strangers in some cultures, for example Aboriginal Australian elders. Using the term in this way is a form of fictive kinship.
Any social institution where a special relationship exists between a man and his sisters' children is known as an avunculate (or avunculism or avuncularism).
Additional terms
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A half-uncle is the half-brother of one's parent.
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A maternal uncle is the brother of one's mother.
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A paternal uncle is the brother of one's father.
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An uncle-in-law is the uncle of one's spouse or the husband of an individual's aunt or uncle.
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A parent's first cousin may be called a second uncle.
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A great-uncle
Genetics and consanguinity
Uncles by birth (brother of a parent) are related to their nieces and nephews on average by 25% (1750
centimorgans) though this can vary considerably.
As half-uncles are related through half brothers, they are related by average 12.5%. Non-consanguineous uncles (male spouse of a relative) are not related by blood.
Cultural variations
Arabic
In Arabic, one's mother's brother is called
Khal خال and the mother's sister is called
Khalah خالة. On the father's side, one's father's brother is called
Amm عم and the father's sister is called
Ammah عمّة.
Turkish
In Turkish, one's mother's brother is called
dayi, father's brother is
amca, and aunt's husband is known as
enişte. One's mother's sister is called "teyze". Father's sister is "hala". Uncle's wife is "yenge".
Albanian, Slavic, and Persian
In some cultures, like Albanian, Slavic, or Persian, no single inclusive term describing both a person's
kinship to their parental male sibling or parental male in-law exists. Instead, there are specific terms describing a person's kinship to their mother's brother (
dajë in Albanian,
daiyee in
Persian language,
wuj (diminutive:
wujek) in
Polish language) or a person's kinship to their father's brother (
xhajë in Albanian,
amou in Persian,
stryj (diminutive:
stryjek) in
Polish language). An analogous differentiation exists using separate terms to describe a person's kinship to their mother's female sibling (
teze in Albanian,
khaleh in Persian,
ciotka (diminutive:
ciocia) in
Polish language), and a person's kinship to their father's female sibling, (
hallë in Albanian,
ammeh in Persian,
stryjna (diminutive:
stryjenka) in
Polish language).
Furthermore, in Persian culture the terms used to describe a person's kinship to their maternal or paternal in-laws bear clear and unambiguous descriptions of that relationship, differentiating the parental in-laws from blood-relatives. For example, there is a specific term describing a person's kinship to the spouse of their paternal uncle (i.e. zan-amou, literally 'wife-of-' amou). This clarifies that kinship is to the spouse of the person's paternal male sibling, as opposed to a blood-relationship.
Indigenous Australians
Many Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples address male respected senior members of the community, known as
Aboriginal elder, as "uncle" (and women as "aunty") as a mark of seniority and respect, whether related or not,
such as
Uncle Archie (Roach)
and Uncle Jack Charles.
South Asian
In India, unambiguous names are used for various uncles such as one's father's brother chacha (or kaka). If the brother of one's father is older than one's father then he is called Tauji (or taya or bapuji). One's mother's brother is called Mama. A paternal aunt's husband is called Fufa (or Fuva) and a maternal aunt's husband is called Mausa (or Masa) in Hindi (or Gujarati).
Likewise, in neighbouring Bangladesh (and Pakistan), mother's brother is also Mama (or Mamu) as well father's brother as Chacha. A paternal aunt's husband is Phupha and maternal aunt's husband is Khalu.
Uncles in popular culture
Due to the loving image of an old but wise and friendly uncle in many cultures the word has been used as a loving nickname for many people. In Tibetan mythology Akhu Tönpa (
Uncle Tompa) is a familiar and well-beloved figure. The American national personification
Uncle Sam serves as an allegorical fatherly figure to many Americans. Various children's TV hosts have used
uncle as their nickname, including
Walt Disney (
Uncle Walt), Bob Davidse (
Nonkel Bob, literally
Uncle Bob), Edwin Rutten (who hosted a children's show named
De Show van Ome Willem The). The Dutch poet Ome Ko also used uncle'' as part of his pseudonym.
Rich, wise or otherwise eccentric uncles are also popular in works of fiction.
Fictional uncles in comics
Fictional uncles in novels
Fictional uncles in films
Fictional uncles in TV series
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Benjen Stark, in the television series Game of Thrones, referred to as "Uncle Benjen" by his nephew Jon Snow.
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Corrado "Junior" Soprano, in the television series The Sopranos, referred to as "Uncle June" by his nephew Tony Soprano.
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Charlie Harper, in the television series Two and a Half Men, referred to as "Uncle Charlie" by his nephew Jake Harper.
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Jesse Katsopolis, in the television series Full House and Fuller House, referred to as "Uncle Jesse" by his three nieces DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle Tanner.
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Philip Banks, a.k.a. Uncle Phil, the uncle-in-law of the titular character in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
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Charles O'Casey, also known as "Uncle Charley", a character in My Three Sons.
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Uncle Deadly, a character in The Muppet Show.
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Uncle Fester, the uncle of Wednesday Addams and Pugsley Addams in The Addams Family.
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Uncle Grandpa, a character in the eponymous TV series.
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Uncle Iroh, a character in , always referred to as "Uncle" by his nephew Zuko
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Uncle Leo, Jerry's maternal uncle in Seinfeld.
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Uncle Jack, title character in a BBC children's TV series.
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Uncle Max, a character in the eponymous TV series.
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Uncle Ruckus, a character in the television series The Boondocks. No relation.
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Grunkle Stan, a character in the television series Gravity Falls. The great-uncle of the main characters.
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Uncle Arthur, a character in Bewitched.
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Emperor Cloyd and Becky the Enchantress characters of Disenchantment, siblings of Dagmar, maternal uncles of Bean and grandsons to the late Queen Mariabeanie.
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Uncle Albert, a character in the television series Only Fools and Horses, paternal great-uncle of Del Boy and Rodney Trotter.
Fictional uncles in advertising
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Uncle Arthur, mascot of a Guinness stout.
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Uncle Ben, mascot of a rice brand.
Fictional uncles in music
See also
External links
