uncle (English)
Where does "uncle" come from?
The English word 'uncle' traces back to the Proto-Indo-European *h₂euh₂-n-tlo-, which literally meant 'little grandfather.' This term evolved into the Latin 'avunculus,' meaning maternal uncle, before passing through Old French and Anglo-Norman into Middle English. Eventually, it replaced native English terms like 'em' and 'fædera' to become our standard word for a parent's brother.
Full etymology tree
- uncle (English), 'The brother or brother-in-law of one’s parent.'
- inherited uncle (Middle English), 'uncle (brother of one's parents)'
- borrowed uncle (Anglo-Norman)
- inherited *aunclum (Vulgar Latin)
- inherited avunculus (Latin), 'maternal uncle, mother's brother'
- inherited *h₂euh₂-n-tlo- (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *h₂éwh₂ō (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *h₂éwh₂os (Proto-Indo-European), 'maternal grandfather'
- derived *h₂éwh₂ō (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *h₂euh₂-n-tlo- (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited avunculus (Latin), 'maternal uncle, mother's brother'
- inherited *aunclum (Vulgar Latin)
- borrowed oncle (Old French), 'uncle'
- inherited *aunclum (Vulgar Latin)
- inherited avunculus (Latin), 'maternal uncle, mother's brother'
- inherited *h₂euh₂-n-tlo- (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *h₂éwh₂ō (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *h₂éwh₂os (Proto-Indo-European), 'maternal grandfather'
- derived *h₂éwh₂ō (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *h₂euh₂-n-tlo- (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited avunculus (Latin), 'maternal uncle, mother's brother'
- inherited *aunclum (Vulgar Latin)
- borrowed uncle (Anglo-Norman)
- inherited uncle (Middle English), 'uncle (brother of one's parents)'
Direct ancestors
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris