Uncle in Different Languages
Discover 'Uncle' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Uncle, a word that signifies a special bond, holds cultural importance in many societies. It goes beyond just a family title, often symbolizing respect, care, and wisdom. The significance of an uncle can be traced back to historical contexts, where they played crucial roles in familial and societal structures.
Interestingly, the word 'uncle' translates differently across languages, reflecting the unique cultural nuances of each society. For instance, in Spanish, 'uncle' is 'tío', in French, it's 'oncle', in German, 'Onkel', in Russian, 'дядя' (dyadya), in Japanese, 'おじいさん' (ojisan), and in Chinese, '叔叔' (shūshu).
Understanding these translations can open up a world of cultural insights. It can help us appreciate the diverse ways in which different societies value familial relationships and the roles that uncles play in these structures.
Uncle
Uncle in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | oom | ||
| The word "oom" in Afrikaans can also be used to refer to a respected older man, not necessarily a biological uncle. | |||
| Amharic | አጎት | ||
| In Amharic, "አጎት" also denotes "uncle" or "male sibling of one's parent". | |||
| Hausa | kawu | ||
| The word "kawu" can also mean "older brother" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | nwanne nna | ||
| In traditional Igbo society, the term "nwanne nna" also had a wider meaning, referring to any paternal relative with whom the speaker shared a close bond. | |||
| Malagasy | rahalahin-drain'i | ||
| The word "rahalahin-drain'i" literally translates to "the one who brings the money" and is also used to refer to a wealthy or important person. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | amalume | ||
| The word "amalume" in Nyanja can also refer to a brother-in-law or a cousin. | |||
| Shona | sekuru | ||
| The word "sekuru" in Shona also means "grandfather" and is a term of respect for older men. | |||
| Somali | adeer | ||
| The Somali word 'adeer' is etymologically related to the Arabic word 'amr', meaning 'command' or 'order' and refers to the authority and respect accorded to uncles in Somali culture. | |||
| Sesotho | malome | ||
| In Sesotho, the word "malome" not only refers to an uncle but also signifies admiration and respect for any elderly male beyond one's immediate circle of relatives. | |||
| Swahili | mjomba | ||
| The Swahili word "mjomba" is cognate with the Portuguese word "tio", both deriving from the Latin word "avunculus". | |||
| Xhosa | umalume | ||
| The word "umalume" can also refer to a brother-in-law or a male cousin. | |||
| Yoruba | aburo | ||
| In Yoruba, "aburo" may also refer to a younger sibling or close associate. | |||
| Zulu | umalume | ||
| In Zulu, the word "umalume" has the alternate meaning of "paternal aunt" and is etymologically derived from the Proto-Bantu word *malume* meaning "father's brother". | |||
| Bambara | bɛnkɛ | ||
| Ewe | nyrui | ||
| Kinyarwanda | nyirarume | ||
| Lingala | noko | ||
| Luganda | kojja | ||
| Sepedi | malome | ||
| Twi (Akan) | wɔfa | ||
Uncle in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | اخو الام | ||
| In archaic Arabic, "اخو الام" could also mean "mother's father" and "mother's brother". | |||
| Hebrew | דוֹד | ||
| The word "דוֹד" (uncle) in Hebrew can also refer to a beloved or close friend. | |||
| Pashto | تره | ||
| The word "تره" can also mean "father's brother", "paternal uncle", or "maternal uncle" in Pashto. | |||
| Arabic | اخو الام | ||
| In archaic Arabic, "اخو الام" could also mean "mother's father" and "mother's brother". | |||
Uncle in Western European Languages
| Albanian | xhaxhai | ||
| The word "xhaxhai" in Albanian can also refer to a "paternal relative". | |||
| Basque | osaba | ||
| In Basque, the word "osaba" also refers to a godfather or a male relative who is not necessarily an uncle. | |||
| Catalan | oncle | ||
| The word «oncle» means «uncle», but may also refer to the father of any of one's parents' siblings. | |||
| Croatian | ujak | ||
| In certain Croatian dialects, "ujak" can also mean "father's brother" or "a father's cousin." | |||
| Danish | onkel | ||
| The word | |||
| Dutch | oom | ||
| In Dutch, "oom" can also refer to a paternal uncle, or a non-blood relative like a close friend or trusted advisor. | |||
| English | uncle | ||
| The word "uncle" derives from the Latin word "avunculus," meaning maternal uncle. | |||
| French | oncle | ||
| The word "oncle" originated from the Latin word "avunculus", meaning "maternal uncle". | |||
| Frisian | omke | ||
| The Frisian word for 'uncle', 'omke', is probably derived from the Proto-West-Germanic word *āma, which also meant 'grandfather'. | |||
| Galician | tío | ||
| The word "tío" in Galician can also refer to an older man, a friend, or a term of endearment. | |||
| German | onkel | ||
| The word "Onkel" derives from the Latin word "avunculus" and originally referred to a father's brother. | |||
| Icelandic | frændi | ||
| The word "frændi" is cognate with the English word "friend," and the two words shared a meaning of "relative" in Old Norse and Old English. | |||
| Irish | uncail | ||
| The Irish word "uncail" is derived from the Old Irish word "oencol" meaning "young one" and is also used as a term of endearment for a child. | |||
| Italian | zio | ||
| "Zio" is a common noun in Italian, meaning "uncle" (maternal or paternal), but can also be used as a term of endearment for a close male friend or mentor. | |||
| Luxembourgish | monni | ||
| "Monni" also refers to a godfather; the feminine form, "Monnin," refers to a godmother (who should not be confused with the "Groussmamm", that is, one's grandmother). | |||
| Maltese | ziju | ||
| The word 'ziju' has an alternative meaning of 'brother-in-law' in Maltese. | |||
| Norwegian | onkel | ||
| The word "onkel" can also refer to a person's godfather or a close male friend. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | tio | ||
| Tio also means aunt's husband in Portuguese and is related to the Latin word "tithius," meaning "husband of one's sister." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | uncail | ||
| The word "uncail" is derived from the Irish word "uncail" meaning "a hook" and is distantly related to the English word "uncle". | |||
| Spanish | tío | ||
| "Tío" derives from Latin "avunculus" and meant "maternal uncle" in older Spanish, now replaced by "sobrino". | |||
| Swedish | farbror | ||
| In Swedish, the term 'farbror' can also refer specifically to one's father's brother or other related males. | |||
| Welsh | ewythr | ||
| "Ewythr" derives from the Old Welsh word "ewytir" meaning "father's brother, uncle", itself from the Proto-Celtic word "*awi-tiros." | |||
Uncle in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дзядзька | ||
| In some regions of the Belarusian language, | |||
| Bosnian | ujak | ||
| "Ujak" was also used in the sense of "host" when addressing foreigners. | |||
| Bulgarian | чичо | ||
| In some regions of Bulgaria, 'чичо' can also refer to a godfather or a male elder who is respected in the community. | |||
| Czech | strýc | ||
| The word "strýc" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *stryjь, which also meant "father's brother" or "mother's sister's husband". | |||
| Estonian | onu | ||
| The Estonian word “õnu” can also refer to the paternal grandfather, great-grandfather, paternal cousin, brother of the mother, godfather, brother of the spouse or a trusted, older, male friend, not related by blood. | |||
| Finnish | setä | ||
| The archaic form is "set" but in the modern language the spelling has been changed to "setä" for distinction, to avoid mispronunciation as "set" | |||
| Hungarian | nagybácsi | ||
| The word "nagybácsi" in Hungarian also means "great-uncle" and literally translates to "big uncle". | |||
| Latvian | onkulis | ||
| The word "onkulis" also means "husband's brother" in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | dėdė | ||
| The word "dėdė" in Lithuanian can also refer to a godfather, maternal uncle, or male relative who is significantly older than the speaker. | |||
| Macedonian | чичко | ||
| The word "чичко" (uncle) in Macedonian also has alternate meanings, such as "father's younger brother" or a term of endearment for an older man. | |||
| Polish | wujek | ||
| In some regions of Poland, 'wujek' can also refer to a priest. | |||
| Romanian | unchiule | ||
| The Romanian word "unchiule" derives from the Latin "avunculus", meaning "maternal uncle", and also shares a common root with the Slavic word "uj", meaning "father-in-law". | |||
| Russian | дядя | ||
| The word "дядя" can also refer to a godfather or a patron. | |||
| Serbian | ујаче | ||
| In Serbian and other Slavic languages and cultures, a "uncle" ('uјак) is traditionally both your father's brother and mother's brother or even your cousin. | |||
| Slovak | strýko | ||
| The word 'strýko', meaning 'uncle', also shares a root with 'stráž', 'protection', suggesting a paternal role. | |||
| Slovenian | stric | ||
| "Stric" is etymologically related to Latin "stirps" referring to family and ancestors or Proto-Slavic word *stryjь, also denoting paternal uncle | |||
| Ukrainian | дядько | ||
| "Дядько" in Ukrainian can also mean "father's brother" or "grandfather's brother's son" or "wife's brother." | |||
Uncle in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চাচা | ||
| The word 'চাচা' also refers to elder brothers of the father or mother as well as elder brothers of any spouse. | |||
| Gujarati | કાકા | ||
| In Gujarati, "કાકા" (kaka) is related to the Sanskrit word "kākā," which also means "uncle," and "kāku," which means "crow." | |||
| Hindi | चाचा | ||
| In some regions of India, "चाचा" is also used to affectionately address an elder brother, similar to the usage of "uncle" in the West. | |||
| Kannada | ಚಿಕ್ಕಪ್ಪ | ||
| The word "ಚಿಕ್ಕಪ್ಪ" literally translates to "little father" in Kannada, implying a fatherly figure younger than the actual father | |||
| Malayalam | അമ്മാവൻ | ||
| The word "അമ്മാവൻ" (uncle) in Malayalam is derived from the word "അമ്മ" (mother), and also refers to a relative who is the younger brother of the father. | |||
| Marathi | काका | ||
| 'kaka' also refers to the paternal grandfather and can be a term for elder brothers in some dialects | |||
| Nepali | काका | ||
| "काका" is a term of respect for priests in Buddhism, possibly deriving from the Sanskrit word "कक्षक" meaning "armpit". | |||
| Punjabi | ਚਾਚਾ | ||
| The word "ਚਾਚਾ" is also often used as a term of endearment for someone who is not actually a blood relative. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මාමා | ||
| The Sinhala word 'මාමා' (mama) can also refer to a paternal cousin or an affectionate term for a male friend. | |||
| Tamil | மாமா | ||
| The word "மாமா" in Tamil can also refer to a term of endearment for a male friend or a male deity. | |||
| Telugu | మామయ్య | ||
| In some Telugu dialects, "మామయ్య" can also refer to the wife's brother's husband or the husband's sister's husband. | |||
| Urdu | چچا | ||
| چچا is also used for a maternal uncle in some parts of Pakistan. | |||
Uncle in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 叔叔 | ||
| 叔叔 can be used as a term of address for a man who is unrelated but of similar age and social status as one's father. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 叔叔 | ||
| 叔叔 or 叔 in oracle bone scripts was also a title for people of a certain age or virtue | |||
| Japanese | おじさん | ||
| The word "おじさん" can also mean "a strange man" or "an old man". | |||
| Korean | 삼촌 | ||
| The word "삼촌" can also refer to a close friend or mentor who is older than the speaker. | |||
| Mongolian | авга ах | ||
| The word "авга ах" could also refer to a husband or brother-in-law. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဦး လေး | ||
| "ဦး လေး" is often used to mean "Mr" in formal situations when referring to older men but can also be employed as a friendly or casual term of endearment between close companions regardless of relative seniority or age gap | |||
Uncle in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | paman | ||
| The word "paman" can also refer to a man who is not related to the speaker but is respected as an elder. | |||
| Javanese | paman | ||
| In some areas of Java, 'paman' can also refer to a maternal grandfather. | |||
| Khmer | ពូ | ||
| The word "ពូ" can also refer to a father-in-law or a godfather. | |||
| Lao | ລຸງ | ||
| "ລຸງ" is also used to address monks as a sign of respect. | |||
| Malay | pakcik | ||
| Pakcik, a Malay term for 'uncle', may derive from the Sanskrit word 'paksha', meaning 'wing' or 'side', suggesting a sense of close kinship. | |||
| Thai | ลุง | ||
| The word "ลุง" (uncle) in Thai can also refer to an older man who is not necessarily related to you. | |||
| Vietnamese | chú | ||
| The word "Chú" in Vietnamese can also refer to the husband of an older sister. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tiyuhin | ||
Uncle in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | dayı | ||
| The word | |||
| Kazakh | ағай | ||
| "Ағай" means "brother's elder son" or "husband of sister's elder sister". | |||
| Kyrgyz | байке | ||
| In Kyrgyz, "байке" can have meanings like "teacher," "master," "mentor," or a title for someone with authority or experience. | |||
| Tajik | амак | ||
| In Tajik, the word "амак" has an alternate meaning of "respected elder brother" and is also used as a term of address for a respected older man, even if he is not related. | |||
| Turkmen | daýy | ||
| Uzbek | tog'a | ||
| The Uzbek word "tog'a" can also mean "father's brother" or "mother's sister's husband" | |||
| Uyghur | تاغىسى | ||
Uncle in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻanakala | ||
| In Hawaiian, ʻanakala also refers to a male cousin or nephew. | |||
| Maori | matua keke | ||
| In Maori culture, the term "matua keke" also carries a broader connotation, encompassing respected male elders who play a guiding role in the community. | |||
| Samoan | tuagane o le aiga | ||
| The Samoan word "tuagane o le aiga" is also used to refer to paternal aunts, as aunts and uncles are not distinguished by gender. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tiyuhin | ||
| The word "tiyuhin", when used for a woman, carries the shade of the woman being the aunt of somebody, not just the niece. | |||
Uncle in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | tiyu | ||
| Guarani | pehẽngue | ||
Uncle in International Languages
| Esperanto | onklo | ||
| Onkl is derived from okcidenta meaning western or west to indicate that the uncle’s house is usually to one or both of the children the next house west. | |||
| Latin | avunculus | ||
| The Latin word "avunculus" originally referred to the maternal uncle and later came to mean any paternal or maternal uncle. | |||
Uncle in Others Languages
| Greek | θείος | ||
| "Θείος" is also an archaic form of the word "θεός" meaning "god". | |||
| Hmong | txiv ntxawm | ||
| The word "txiv ntxawm" can also refer to younger members of the father's clan, even distant cousins, or to close friends of the father. | |||
| Kurdish | mam | ||
| In some Kurdish dialects, "mam" can also mean "father's brother" or "mother's husband". | |||
| Turkish | amca dayı | ||
| In Turkish, "amca dayı" originally meant "father's brother" and "mother's brother," but over time it expanded to include other relatives and even non-relatives as a term of respect and affection. | |||
| Xhosa | umalume | ||
| The word "umalume" can also refer to a brother-in-law or a male cousin. | |||
| Yiddish | פעטער | ||
| The Yiddish word "פעטער" ("uncle") may also refer to a paternal aunt or a term of endearment for a friend. | |||
| Zulu | umalume | ||
| In Zulu, the word "umalume" has the alternate meaning of "paternal aunt" and is etymologically derived from the Proto-Bantu word *malume* meaning "father's brother". | |||
| Assamese | খুড়া | ||
| Aymara | tiyu | ||
| Bhojpuri | काका | ||
| Dhivehi | ބޮޑު ބޭބެ | ||
| Dogri | चाचा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tiyuhin | ||
| Guarani | pehẽngue | ||
| Ilocano | angkal | ||
| Krio | ɔnkul | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مام | ||
| Maithili | कका जी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯨꯔꯥ | ||
| Mizo | putea | ||
| Oromo | eessuma | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମାମୁଁ | ||
| Quechua | tio | ||
| Sanskrit | पितृव्यः | ||
| Tatar | абзый | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣኮ | ||
| Tsonga | malume | ||