From en.wikipedia.org:
[Male relative who is sibling of one's parent] [Other uses] [date=December
2024] alt=1929 photograph of United States Representative Charles A. Eaton
and his nephew Rep. William R. Eaton. An UNCLE is usually defined as a male
relative who is a sibling of a parent or married to a sibling of a parent, as
well as the parent of the cousins. Uncles who are related by birth are
second-degree relatives. The female counterpart of an uncle is an aunt, and
the reciprocal relationship is that of a nephew or niece. The word comes from
[la], the diminutive of _avus_ (grandfather), and is a family relationship
within an extended or immediate family. [1] A popular colloquial term in
English is UNC.[2]
In some cultures and families, children may refer to the cousins of their
parents as uncle (or aunt). It is also used as a title of respect for older
relatives, neighbours, acquaintances, family friends, and even total strangers
in some cultures, for example Aboriginal Australian elders. Using the term in
this way is a form of fictive kinship.
Any social institution where a special relationship exists between a man and
his sisters' children is known as an avunculate (or avunculism or
avuncularism).[3] This relationship can be formal or informal, depending on
the society. Early anthropological research focused on the association
between the avunculate and matrilineal descent, while later research has
expanded to consider the avunculate in general society.
** Additional terms
- A HALF-UNCLE is the half-brother of one's parent.
- A MATERNAL UNCLE is the brother of one's mother.
- A PATERNAL UNCLE is the brother of one's father.
- An UNCLE-IN-LAW is the uncle of one's spouse or the husband of an individual's aunt or uncle.
- A parent's first cousin may be called a SECOND UNCLE .
- A GREAT-UNCLE [4] [5] / GRANDUNCLE [6] / GRAND-UNCLE [7] is the brother of one's grandparent.
** Genetics and consanguinity
Uncles by birth (brother of a parent) are related to their nieces and nephews
on average by 25% (1750 centimorgans) though this can vary considerably.[8] As
half-uncles are related through half brothers, they are related by average
12.5%. Non-consanguineous uncles (male spouse of a relative) are not related
by blood.
** Cultural variations
*** Arabic
In Arabic, one's mother's brother is called _Khal_ خال and the mother's sister
is called _Khalah_ خالة. On the father's side, one's father's brother is
called _Amm_ عم and the father's sister is called _Ammah_ عمّة.
*** Turkish
In Turkish, one's mother's brother is called _dayi_, father's brother is
_amca_, and aunt's husband is known as _enişte_. One's mother's sister is
called "teyze". Father's sister is "hala". Uncle's wife is "yenge".
*** Albanian, Slavic, and Persian
In some cultures, like Albanian, Slavic, or Persian, no single inclusive term
describing both a person's kinship to their parental male sibling or parental
male in-law exists. Instead, there are specific terms describing a person's
kinship to their mother's brother (_dajë_ in Albanian, _daiyee_ in Persian,
_wuj_ (diminutive: _wujek_) in Polish) or a person's kinship to their father's
brother (_xhajë_ in Albanian, _amou_ in Persian, _stryj_ (diminutive:
_stryjek_) in Polish). An analogous differentiation exists using separate
terms to describe a person's kinship to their mother's female sibling (_teze_
in Albanian, _khaleh_ in Persian, _ciotka_ (diminutive: _ciocia_) in Polish),
and a person's kinship to their father's female sibling, (_hallë_ in Albanian,
_ammeh_ in Persian, _stryjna_ (diminutive: _stryjenka_) in Polish).
Furthermore, in Persian culture the terms used to describe a person's kinship
to their maternal or paternal in-laws bear clear and unambiguous descriptions
of that relationship, differentiating the parental in-laws from
blood-relatives. For example, there is a specific term describing a person's
kinship to the spouse of their paternal uncle (i.e. _zan-amou_, literally
'wife-of-' _amou_). This clarifies that kinship is to the spouse of the
person's paternal male sibling, as opposed to a blood-relationship.
*** Indigenous Australians
Many Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples address male
respected senior members of the community, known as elders, as "uncle" (and
women as "aunty") as a mark of seniority and respect, whether related or
not,[9] such as Uncle Archie (Roach)[10] and Uncle Jack Charles.<ref >{{cite
web | last=Browning | first=Daniel | title='I called him Uncle': Remembering
iconic theatre great Uncle Jack Charles | website=ABC News|
publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]| date=14 September 2022 |
url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-14/uncle-jack-charles-aboriginal-artist-indigenous-elder-leader/101437098
| access-date=16 September 2022}}</ref>
*** South Asian
In India, unambiguous names are used for various uncles such as one's father's
brother chacha (or kaka). If the brother of one's father is older than one's
father then he is called Tauji (or taya or bapuji). One's mother's brother is
called Mama. A paternal aunt's husband is called Fufa (or Fuva) and a
maternal aunt's husband is called Mausa (or Masa) in Hindi (or Gujarati).
Likewise, in neighbouring Bangladesh (and Pakistan), mother's brother is also
Mama (or Mamu) as well father's brother as Chacha. A paternal aunt's husband
is Phupha and maternal aunt's husband is Khalu.
** Uncles in popular culture
Due to the loving image of an old but wise and friendly uncle in many cultures
the word has been used as a loving nickname for many people. In Tibetan
mythology Akhu Tönpa (_Uncle Tompa_) is a familiar and well-beloved figure.
The American national personification Uncle Sam serves as an allegorical
fatherly figure to many Americans. Various children's TV hosts have used
_uncle_ as their nickname, including Walt Disney (_Uncle Walt_), Bob Davidse
(_Nonkel Bob_, literally _Uncle Bob_), Edwin Rutten (who hosted a children's
show named _De Show van Ome Willem_ [_The Show of Uncle Willem_]). The Dutch
poet Ome Ko also used _uncle_ as part of his pseudonym.
Rich, wise or otherwise eccentric uncles are also popular in works of fiction.
*** Fictional uncles in comics
- Nonkel Fillemon in _Urbanus_ .
- Nonkel Vital in _De Kiekeboes_ .
- Ome Arie, character in _Sjors en Sjimmie_ .
- _Oncle Paul_ , the title character in a Belgian comics series.
- Ben Parker , [aka] _Uncle Ben_ , the uncle of Spider-Man .
- Scrooge McDuck , a.k.a. _Uncle Scrooge_ from the Donald Duck comics.
- Uncle Choi by Hui Guan-man.
- Uncle Phil in _Mickey Finn_ . [11]
*** Fictional uncles in novels
- _Uncle Oswald_ by Roald Dahl .
- _Uncle Remus_ by Joel Chandler Harris .
- _Uncle Tom_ by Harriet Beecher Stowe .
- _Uncle Vanya_ by Anton Chekhov .
- _Uncle Wiggily_ by Howard R. Garis .
- Vernon Dursley a.k.a. "Uncle Vernon" The uncle by marriage of the protagonist of _Harry Potter_ by _J. K. Rowling_
*** Fictional uncles in films
- Uncle Buck , played by John Candy in the 1989 eponymous film.
- Uncle Fucker , character and song in _South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut_ .
*** Fictional uncles in TV series
- Benjen Stark , in the television series _Game of Thrones_ , referred to as "Uncle Benjen" by his nephew Jon Snow .
- Corrado "Junior" Soprano , in the television series _The Sopranos_ , referred to as "Uncle June" by his nephew Tony Soprano .
- Charlie Harper , in the television series _Two and a Half Men_ , referred to as "Uncle Charlie" by his nephew Jake Harper .
- Jesse Katsopolis , in the television series _Full House_ and _Fuller House_ , referred to as "Uncle Jesse" by his three nieces DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle Tanner.
- Philip Banks, a.k.a. _Uncle Phil_ , the uncle-in-law of the titular character in _The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air_ .
- Charles O'Casey, also known as "Uncle Charley", a character in _My Three Sons_ .
- Uncle Deadly , a character in _The Muppet Show_ .
- Uncle Fester , the uncle of Wednesday and Pugsley Addams in _The Addams Family_ .
- Uncle Grandpa , a character in the eponymous TV series.
- Uncle Iroh , a character in _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ , always referred to as "Uncle" by his nephew Zuko
- Uncle Leo , Jerry's maternal uncle in _Seinfeld_ .
- Uncle Jack , title character in a BBC children's TV series.
- Uncle Max , a character in the eponymous TV series.
- Uncle Ruckus , a character in the television series _The Boondocks_ . No relation.
- Grunkle Stan , a character in the television series _Gravity Falls_ . The great-uncle of the main characters.
- Uncle Arthur, a character in _Bewitched_ .
- Emperor Cloyd and Becky the Enchantress characters of Disenchantment , siblings of Dagmar, maternal uncles of Bean and grandsons to the late Queen Mariabeanie.
*** Fictional uncles in advertising
- Uncle Arthur, mascot of a Guinness stout .
- Uncle Ben , mascot of a rice brand.
*** Fictional uncles in music
- Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey , a 1971 song by Paul and Linda McCartney from the album _Ram_ .
** See also
- Bob's your uncle
- Say Uncle
** References
[Reflist]
** External links
- [uncle]
- [great-uncle]
- [granduncle]
[state=collapsed] [Authority control]
Category:Kinship and descent Category:Family Category:Terms for men
Español: Anexo:Nomenclatura de parentesco en español#Tíos