An uncle is usually defined as a male
relative
Relative may refer to:
General use
*Kinship and family, the principle binding the most basic social units society. If two people are connected by circumstances of birth, they are said to be ''relatives''
Philosophy
*Relativism, the concept that ...
who is a
sibling of a
parent or
married to a sibling of a parent. Uncles who are
related by birth are
second-degree relative
A second-degree relative (SDR) is someone who shares 25% of a person's genes. It includes uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, grandparents, grandchildren, half-siblings, and double cousins.
See also
*Family
*First-degree relative
*Third-degree rela ...
s. 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, avunculus, the diminutive of ''avus'' (grandfather), and is a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
relationship within an extended or immediate family.
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
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
for older relatives, neighbours, acquaintances, family friends, and even total strangers in some cultures, for example
Aboriginal Australian elder
Australian Aboriginal elders are highly respected people within Australia and their respective Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. An Elder has been defined as "someone who has gained recognition as a custodian of knowledge and l ...
s. Using the term in this way is a form of
fictive kinship
Fictive kinship is a term used by anthropologists and ethnographers to describe forms of kinship or social ties that are based on neither consanguineal (blood ties) nor affinal ("by marriage") ties. It contrasts with ''true kinship'' ties.
To ...
.
Any social institution where a special relationship exists between a man and his sisters' children is known as an
avunculate
The avunculate, sometimes called avunculism or avuncularism, is any social institution where a special relationship exists between an uncle and his sisters' children. This relationship can be formal or informal, depending on the society. Early ...
(or avunculism or avuncularism). This relationship can be formal or informal, depending on the society. Early anthropological research focused on the association between the avunculate and
matrilineal
Matrilineality is the tracing of kinship through the female line. It may also correlate with a social system in which each person is identified with their matriline – their mother's Lineage (anthropology), lineage – and which can in ...
descent, while later research has expanded to consider the avunculate in general society.
Additional terms
![Uncles](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Uncles.png)
* A half-uncle is the half-brother of one's parent.
* Uncle-in-law can refer to the husband of one's aunt or uncle, or the uncle of one's spouse.
* A great-uncle/granduncle/grand-uncle is the brother of one's grandparent.
Genetics and Consanguinity
Uncles by birth (brother of a parent) are
related
''Related'' is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on The WB from October 5, 2005, to March 20, 2006. It revolves around the lives of four close-knit sisters of Italian descent, raised in Brooklyn and living in Manhattan.
The ...
to their nieces and nephews by 25%.
As half-uncles are related through half brothers, they are related by 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
In anthropology, kinship is the web of social relationships that form an important part of the lives of all humans in all societies, although its exact meanings even within this discipline are often debated. Anthropologist Robin Fox says that ...
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
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
, ''daiyee'' in
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
, ''wuj'' (diminutive: ''wujek'') in
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
) or a person's kinship to their father's brother (''xhajë'' in Albanian, ''amou'' in Persian, ''stryj'' (diminutive: ''stryjek'') in
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
). 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
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
), and a person's kinship to their father's female sibling, (''hallë'' in Albanian, ''ammeh'' in Persian, ''stryjna'' (diminutive: ''stryjenka'') in
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
*Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
).
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, such as
Uncle Archie (Roach) and
Uncle Jack Charles.
South Asian
In
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, 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
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
(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
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
(''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
''Sjors & Sjimmie'' (''George & Jimmy'') is a Dutch adaptation of the comic strip ''Winnie Winkle'', specifically the character Perry Winkle from that strip. The difference between the American original and the Dutch adaptation is that Sjors (Per ...
''.
* ''
Oncle Paul'', the title character in a Belgian comics series.
*
Ben Parker, ''Uncle Ben'', the uncle of
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
.
*
Scrooge McDuck
Scrooge McDuck is a cartoon character created in 1947 by Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company. Appearing in Disney comics, Scrooge is a Scottish-American anthropomorphic Pekin duck. Like his nephew Donald Duck, he has a yellow-orange bil ...
, a.k.a. ''Uncle Scrooge'' from the
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor shirt and cap with a bow tie. Donald is known fo ...
comics.
*
Uncle Choi
Uncle Choi () was a popular manhua in Hong Kong. It was created by Hui Guan-man (), and released in 1958. Publication ceased in the mid 1970s.
Background
Uncle Choi was the best selling comic in the 1950s to early 1960s. The comic is considered ...
by Hui Guan-man.
* Uncle Phil in ''
Mickey Finn''.
Fictional uncles in novels
* ''
Uncle Oswald Oswald may refer to:
People
*Oswald (given name), including a list of people with the name
*Oswald (surname), including a list of people with the name
Fictional characters
*Oswald the Reeve, who tells a tale in Geoffrey Chaucer's ''The Canterbur ...
'' by
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has be ...
.
* ''
Uncle Remus
Uncle Remus is the fictional title character and narrator of a collection of African American folktales compiled and adapted by Joel Chandler Harris and published in book form in 1881. Harris was a journalist in post-Reconstruction era Atlanta, a ...
'' by
Joel Chandler Harris
Joel Chandler Harris (December 9, 1848 – July 3, 1908) was an American journalist, fiction writer, and folklorist best known for his collection of Uncle Remus stories. Born in Eatonton, Georgia, where he served as an apprentice on a planta ...
.
* ''
Uncle Tom
Uncle Tom is the title character of Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel, ''Uncle Tom's Cabin''. The character was seen by many readers as a ground-breaking humanistic portrayal of a slave, one who uses nonresistance and gives his life to protect ...
'' by
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and became best known for her novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1852), which depicts the harsh ...
.
* ''
Uncle Vanya
''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the direct ...
'' by
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...
.
* ''
Uncle Wiggily'' by
Howard R. Garis
Howard Roger Garis ( – ) was an American author, best known for a series of books that featured the character of Uncle Wiggily Longears, an engaging elderly rabbit. Many of his books were illustrated by Lansing Campbell. Garis and his wife, Li ...
.
* Vernon Dursley a.k.a. "Uncle Vernon" The uncle by marriage of the protagonist of ''
Harry Potter
''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...
'' by ''
J. K. Rowling''
Fictional uncles in films
*
Uncle Buck, played by
John Candy in the 1989 eponymous film.
*
Uncle Fucker
''South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut – Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture'' is the soundtrack album to the film of the same name. The album was released on June 22, 1999, by Atlantic Records. The album inlay states that only the fir ...
, character and song in ''
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut''.
Fictional uncles in TV series
*
Benjen Stark
George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' saga features a large cast of characters. The series follows three interwoven plotlines: a dynastic war for control of Westeros by several families; the rising threat of the superhuman Others beyo ...
, in the television series ''
Game of Thrones
''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...
'', referred to as "Uncle Benjen" by his nephew
Jon Snow.
*
Corrado "Junior" Soprano, in the television series ''
The Sopranos
''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...
'', referred to as "Uncle June" by his nephew
Tony Soprano.
*
Jesse Katsopolis
The American television sitcom ''Full House'' ran for eight seasons on ABC from September 22, 1987, to May 23, 1995. Its sequel series '' Fuller House'' followed 21 years later, airing on Netflix, beginning February 26, 2016; the two parts of ...
, in the television series ''
Full House'' and ''
Fuller House'', referred to as "Uncle Jesse" by his three nieces DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle Tanner.
* Uncle Phil, a character in ''
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart t ...
''.
* Charles O'Casey, also known as "Uncle Charley", a character in ''
My Three Sons''.
*
Uncle Deadly, a character in ''
The Muppet Show
''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a ser ...
''.
*
Uncle Fester, a character in ''
The Addams Family''.
*
Uncle Grandpa, a character in the eponymous TV series.
*
Uncle Iroh, a character from ''
Avatar: The Last Airbender'' and ''
The Legend of Korra
''The Legend of Korra'' (abbreviated as TLOK), also known as ''Avatar: The Legend of Korra'' or simply ''Korra'', is an American anime-influenced animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko for Nickelode ...
;'' the Uncle of Princ''e''ss Azula and Prince (later Fire Lord) Zuko, and brother of the main antagonist, Fire Lord Ozai.
*
Uncle Jack
''Uncle Jack'' was a children's TV show which aired on BBC1 in the early 1990s.
The plot centres around Jack Green, an environmentalist and undercover agent for MI5, who with his family are on a mission to save the planet. Jack's archenemy ...
, 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
Boondocks are remote, usually brushy areas.
Boondocks may also refer to:
* The Boondocks (band), an Estonian rock band
* ''The Boondocks'' (comic strip), a comic strip by Aaron McGruder
** ''The Boondocks'' (2005 TV series), the television ser ...
''. 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
''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typic ...
''.
*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
Guinness () is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in ove ...
.
*
Uncle Ben
Benjamin Franklin Parker, usually referred to as Uncle Ben, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually in association with the superhero Spider-Man. He is the husband of May Parker and the pa ...
, mascot of a
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
brand.
Fictional uncles in music
*
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey, a 1971 a song by
Paul and
Linda McCartney
Linda Louise McCartney, Lady McCartney ( Eastman; September 24, 1941 – April 17, 1998) was an American photographer, musician, animal rights activist, vegetarian cookbook author and advocate, and entrepreneur. She was the keyboardist in th ...
from the album ''
Ram''.
See also
*
Bob's your uncle
"Bob's your uncle" is a phrase commonly used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries that means "and there it is" or "and there you have it" or "it's done". Typically, someone says it to conclude a set of simple instructions or when a ...
*
Say Uncle
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Authority control
Kinship and descent
Family
es:Anexo:Nomenclatura de parentesco en español#Tíos