"uncle" in seven languages
Meaninguncle
Spanish
/ˈtio/
masc.inherited
French
/ɔ̃kl/
masc.other source · Latin AVUNCULUM 'mother's brother'
Italian
/ˈtsio/
masc.inherited
lo zio, gli zii
Portuguese
/ˈtʃiu/
masc.inherited
Romanian
/unkʲ/
masc.other source · Latin AVUNCULUM 'mother's brother'
The same AVUNCULUM as French oncle and English uncle.
Catalan
/ˈoŋklə/
masc.other source · Latin AVUNCULUM 'mother's brother'
Colloquially tiet, from Spanish tío.
English
/ˈʌŋkəl/
other source · Old French oncle (Latin AVUNCULUM)
The Latin ancestor
THĪUM‘uncle (Late Latin, from Greek theîos)’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Spanish and Italian took a Greek word, theîos, through Late Latin. French kept AVUNCULUS, 'little grandfather', which English borrowed as uncle. Italian zio begins with z, so its article is lo.
English relatives: uncle, avuncular (fr)
Learn it
In a sentence
- esMi tío vive en el campo.
- frMon oncle habite à la campagne.
- itMio zio vive in campagna.
- ptMeu tio mora no interior.
- roUnchiul meu locuiește la țară.
- caEl meu oncle viu al camp.
- enMy uncle lives in the country.