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An uncle is usually defined as a male relative who is a
sibling A sibling is a relative that shares at least one parent with the subject. A male sibling is a brother and a female sibling is a sister. A person with no siblings is an only child. While some circumstances can cause siblings to be raised separat ...
of a
parent A parent is a caregiver of the offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is the caretaker of a child (where "child" refers to offspring, not necessarily age). A ''biological parent'' is a person whose gamete resulted in a child, a male t ...
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 re ...
s. The female counterpart of an uncle is an
aunt An aunt is a woman who is a sibling of a parent or married to a sibling of a parent. Aunts who are related by birth are second-degree relatives. Known alternate terms include auntie or aunty. Children in other cultures and families may refe ...
, 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 group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...
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 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 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 (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 – and which can involve the inheritance o ...
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. * 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 tha ...
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 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 scree ...
) 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 scree ...
). 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 scree ...
), 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 scree ...
). 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 people Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples o ...
s address male respected senior members of the community, known as Elders, as "uncle" (and women as "
aunt An aunt is a woman who is a sibling of a parent or married to a sibling of a parent. Aunts who are related by birth are second-degree relatives. Known alternate terms include auntie or aunty. Children in other cultures and families may refe ...
y") as a mark of seniority and respect, whether related or not, such as
Uncle Archie Archibald William Roach (8 January 1956 – 30 July 2022) was an Australian singer, songwriter and Aboriginal activist. Often referred to as "Uncle Archie", Roach was a Gunditjmara and Bundjalung elder who campaigned for the rights of Abor ...
(Roach) and
Uncle Jack Charles Jack Charles (5 September 1943 – 13 September 2022), also known as Uncle Jack Charles, was an Australian stage and screen actor and activist, known for his advocacy for Aboriginal people. He was involved in establishing the first Indigenous t ...
.


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 Tibetan mythology refers to the traditional as well as the religious stories that have been passed down by the Tibetan people. Tibetan mythology consists mainly of national mythology stemming from the Tibetan culture as well as religious mytholog ...
Akhu Tönpa (''Uncle Tompa'') is a familiar and well-beloved figure. The American national personification
Uncle Sam Uncle Sam (which has the same initials as ''United States'') is a common national personification of the federal government of the United States or the country in general. Since the early 19th century, Uncle Sam has been a popular symbol of ...
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 pr ...
(''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 Urbain Servranckx (born 7 June 1949), better known as Urbanus, is a Belgian comedian, actor, singer and comic book writer. Although he is most famous as comedian, some of his songs became hits, such as ''Bakske vol met stro'' (1979), ''Madammen ...
''. * Nonkel Vital in ''
De Kiekeboes ''De Kiekeboes'' is a comic strip series created by Belgian artist Merho in 1977. The series appears in Dutch. It is first published in the newspapers '' Gazet van Antwerpen'' and ''Het Belang van Limburg'' and then published as comic books by S ...
''. * Ome Arie, character in '' Sjors en Sjimmie''. * '' 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 Silv ...
. *
Scrooge McDuck Scrooge McDuck is a Character (arts), cartoon character created in 1947 by Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company. Appearing in Disney comics, Scrooge is a Scottish Americans, Scottish-American Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic American Pekin, ...
, 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 by Hui Guan-man. * Uncle Phil in '' Mickey Finn''.


Fictional uncles in novels

* '' Uncle Oswald'' by
Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime Flying ace, fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. ...
. * ''
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, ...
'' 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 har ...
. * ''
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 direc ...
'' 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 Uncle Wiggily Longears is the main character of a series of children's stories by American author Howard R. Garis. He began writing the stories for the '' Newark News'' in 1910. Garis penned an Uncle Wiggily story every day (except Sundays) for m ...
'' by Howard R. Garis. * 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 novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Ho ...
'' by ''
J. K. Rowling Joanne Rowling ( "rolling"; born 31 July 1965), also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. The ser ...
''


Fictional uncles in films

*
Uncle Buck ''Uncle Buck'' is a 1989 American comedy film written and directed by John Hughes, and starring John Candy and Amy Madigan with supporting roles by Jean Louisa Kelly (in her film debut), Macaulay Culkin, Gaby Hoffmann, Garrett M. Brown and ...
, played by
John Candy John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian known mainly for his work in Hollywood films. Candy rose to fame in the 1970s as a member of the Toronto branch of the Second City and its '' SCTV'' seri ...
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 ''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...
'', referred to as "Uncle June" by his nephew
Tony Soprano Anthony John Soprano is a fictional character and the antihero protagonist in the HBO television drama series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), portrayed by James Gandolfini. Soprano is a member of the Italian-American Mafia and, especially late ...
. *
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 ''Full House'' is an American television sitcom created by Jeff Franklin for ABC. The show is about widowed father Danny Tanner who enlists his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and childhood best friend Joey Gladstone to help raise his three ...
'' 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 ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seasons. ''My Three Sons'' chroni ...
''. * 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 s ...
''. *
Uncle Fester Uncle Fester is a member of the fictional Addams Family. He was played by Jackie Coogan in the original television series, by Christopher Lloyd in the two feature films, by Nick Kroll in the 2019 and 2021 animated features, by Fred Armisen in ...
, a character in ''
The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in '' The New Yorker'' over ...
''. *
Uncle Grandpa ''Uncle Grandpa'' is an American animated television series created by Peter Browngardt for Cartoon Network. It ran from September 2, 2013 to June 30, 2017. It is based on Browngardt's animated short of the same name from the unaired '' Cartoon ...
, 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 Nickelo ...
;'' the Uncle of Princ''e''ss Azula and Prince (later Fire Lord) Zuko, and brother of the main antagonist, Fire Lord Ozai. * Uncle Jack, title character in a BBC children's TV series. *
Uncle Max ''Uncle Max'' is a British children's comedy television series originally airing on CITV, and now CBBC. It features David Schneider as the title character, Uncle Max, and William Howe as Luke, Max's nine-year-old nephew, although in the secon ...
, a character in the eponymous TV series. *
Uncle Ruckus Uncle Ruckus (born July 4, 1939) is a fictional character on the American animated sitcom '' The Boondocks''. Voiced by Gary Anthony Williams, he first appeared on television in the show's pilot, "The Garden Party", on November 6, 2005. Created an ...
, a character in the television series '' The Boondocks''. No relation. *
Grunkle Stan Stanley Pines, also known as "Grunkle Stan", is one of the main characters of the Disney Channel animated series ''Gravity Falls'', created and voiced by the series creator Alex Hirsch. In an interview, Hirsch claims that Grunkle Stan is loosely ...
, a character in the television series ''
Gravity Falls ''Gravity Falls'' is an American mystery comedy animated television series created by Alex Hirsch for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series follows the adventures of Dipper Pines ( Jason Ritter) and his twin sister Mabel (Kristen Schaal) wh ...
''. 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 In social science, disenchantment (german: Entzauberung) is the cultural rationalization and devaluation of religion apparent in modern society. The term was borrowed from Friedrich Schiller by Max Weber to describe the character of a moder ...
, 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 p ...
, mascot of a
rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domesticated, ...
brand.


Fictional uncles in music

*
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" is a song by Paul and Linda McCartney from the album ''Ram''. Released in the United States as a single on 2 August 1971, it reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on 4 September 1971, making it the first ...
, a 1971 a song by
Paul Paul may refer to: * Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chr ...
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 Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to: Animals * A male sheep * Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish People * Ram (given name) * Ram (surname) * Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director * RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch ...
''.


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