1
Stage 1 of 3
avunculus
Latin · ancient
"a mother's brother"
literally a little grandfather, a diminutive of avus (grandfather), meaning a mother's brother
2
Stage 2 of 3
oncle
Old French · medieval
"a parent's brother"
carried into French and broadened to mean any parent's brother
3
Stage 3 of 3
uncle
English · 1300s
"the brother of one's parent"
settled as the English word for a parent's brother
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