Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

maternal uncle

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.69 in modern English

Syllables: ma-ter-nal un-cle
IPA

17

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

4

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The brother or brother-in-law of one’s mother. (This entry is a translation hub.)

Example Sentences

"The social organization of the Trobriand Islanders of Melane- sia is characterized by matrilineal descent, free and familiar rela- tions between father and son, and a marked antagonism between maternal uncle and nephew.³¹ On the other hand, the patrilineal Cherkess of the Caucasus place the hostility between father and son, while the maternal uncle assists his nephew and gives him a horse when he marries.³²"

Inflected Forms

maternal uncles (plural)

Phrases

maternal aunt paternal uncle uterine nephew

Frequently Paired Words

maternal aunt paternal uncle uterine nephew

Questions

What does maternal uncle mean?: The brother or brother-in-law of one’s mother. (This entry is a translation hub.)

How to pronounce maternal uncle

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