Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “nephew” come from?

Nephew comes from Middle English neveu, from Old French neveu, from Latin nepos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European népōts, a term for grandson or male relative.

nephew (English): A son of one's sibling, brother-in-law, or...

Definitions

  1. A son of one's sibling, brother-in-law, or...

Ancestry of “nephew”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishnevewA nephew; A grandson or granddaughter; Any other...
2Old Frenchneveunephew; grandson
3Latinnepōs—
4Proto-Italicnepōtsgrandson; nephew
5Proto-Indo-Europeannépōtsgrandson; descendant; nephew

Words derived from “nephew”

  • grandnephew
  • stepnephew
  • step-nephew
  • nephew fucker
  • nephewless
  • nephewly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European népōts →