Uncle

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.

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.

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).

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.

In Tibetan mythology Akhu Tönpa (Uncle Tompa) is a familiar and well-beloved figure.

1929 photograph of United States Representative Charles A. Eaton and his nephew Rep. William R. Eaton.
United States Representative Charles A. Eaton (right) and his nephew Rep. William R. Eaton (left).
Uncles by Generation