Where does “uncle” come from?

Uncle comes from Middle English uncle, from Old French oncle, from Vulgar Latin aunclum, from Latin avunculus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂éwh₂os.

uncle (English): The brother or brother-in-law of one’s parent;...

Definitions

  1. The brother or brother-in-law of one’s parent;...

Ancestry of “uncle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishuncleuncle (brother of one's parents)
2Old FrenchuncleAlternative form of oncle
3Latinavunculusmaternal uncle, mother's brother; mother's...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éwh₂osmaternal grandfather; maternal uncle

Words derived from “uncle”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂éwh₂os →Every word from Latin avunculus →Every word from Old French uncle →