Where does “Uncle” come from?
Uncle (English) comes from Middle English uncle, from Old French uncle, from Latin avunculus, from Proto-Indo-European h₂éwh₂os — maternal grandfather; maternal uncle.
Ancestry of “Uncle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | uncle | — |
| 2 | Old French | uncle | Alternative form of oncle |
| 3 | Latin | avunculus | maternal uncle, mother's brother; mother's... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éwh₂os | maternal grandfather; maternal uncle |