different between uncle vs granduncle

English

Etymology

From Middle English uncle, borrowed from Anglo-Norman uncle and Old French oncle, from Vulgar Latin *aunclum, from Latin avunculus (“mother’s brother”, literally “little grandfather”), compare avus (“grandfather”), from Proto-Indo-European *h?euh?-n-tlo (“little grandfather”), diminutive of *h?éwh?os (“grandfather, adult male relative other than one’s father”). Displaced native Middle English eam, eme (“maternal uncle”) from Old English ?am (“maternal uncle”), containing the same Proto-Indo-European root, and Old English fædera (“paternal uncle”). Compare Saterland Frisian Unkel (“uncle”), Dutch nonkel (“uncle”), German Low German Unkel (“uncle”), German Onkel (“uncle”), Danish onkel (“uncle”). More at eam and eame.

Pronunciation

• enPR: ?ng?k?l, IPA^(key): /???.k?l/
• (US), IPA^(key): /???.k?l/, [???.k??], [???.k??]
• (UK), IPA^(key): /???.k?l/, IPA^(key): [???.k??], [???.k??]
• Rhymes: -??k?l

Noun

uncle (plural uncles)

1. The brother or brother-in-law of one’s parent.
2. (endearing) The male cousin of one’s parent.
3. (euphemistic) A companion to one's (usually unmarried) mother.
4. (figuratively) A source of advice, encouragement, or help.
5. (Britain, informal, dated) A pawnbroker.
   • December 1843, William Makepeace Thackeray, "Grant in Paris" (review), in Fraser's Magazine

     A chain hangs out of the pocket of his velvet waistcoat , by which we may conclude that he has a watch , though we have known many gents whose watches were at their uncle's (as the fashionable term for the pawnbroker goes)

6. (especially in the Southern US, parts of Britain and South Asia) An affectionate term for a man of an older generation than oneself, especially a friend of one's parents, by means of fictive kin.
7. (Southern US, slang, archaic) An older African-American male.
   • 1850, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Representative Men

     Plain old uncle as he [Socrates] was, with his great ears, — an immense talker.

Synonyms

• (dialectal, Scotland) eam, eme
• (archaic or dialectal) nuncle
• (India, as a respectful term of address) uncleji
• (familiar or endearing) uncley, unclie, uncly

Antonyms

• (with regard to gender): aunt
• (with regard to ancestry): niece, nephew
• (African-American): boy
• (India): aunty

Hypernyms

• (sibling of someone's parent) auncle, pibling (both nonstandard)

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

Translations

See also: related paternal uncle and maternal uncle for more translations.

Interjection

uncle

1. A cry used to indicate surrender.

Derived terms

• cry uncle
• say uncle

Verb

uncle (third-person singular simple present uncles, present participle uncling, simple past and past participle uncled)

1. (transitive, colloquial) To address somebody by the term uncle.
2. (intransitive, colloquial) To act like, or as, an uncle.

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “uncle”, in Online Etymology Dictionary
• “uncle”, in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary, (Please provide a date or year).

Anagrams

• Clune

Old French

Noun

uncle m (oblique plural uncles, nominative singular uncles, nominative plural uncle)

1. (Anglo-Norman) Alternative form of oncle

English

Etymology

From Middle English graunt oncle, equivalent to grand- +? uncle.

Noun

granduncle (plural granduncles)

1. Synonym of great-uncle
2. A brother of grandparent

Alternative forms

• grand uncle
• grand-uncle

Related terms

• grandaunt

Translations