nuncle

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English

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Etymology

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From rebracketing of phrases an uncle, mine uncle, thine uncle, etc. Compare neam and naunt.

For the verb, OED suggests an evolution in sense "to claim to be one's uncle" > "to cheat". It compares this derivation with cozen, which it derives from cousin.

For the technical anthropological sense, compare nibling.

Noun

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nuncle (plural nuncles)

  1. (archaic or dialectal) Uncle.
    • 1605, Shakespeare, King Lear:
      Fool: Prithee, nuncle, tell me whether a madman be a gentleman or a yeoman?
  2. (linguistics, anthropology, in the study of kinship terminology) Aunt or uncle; sibling of a parent (regardless of gender).

Verb

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nuncle (third-person singular simple present nuncles, present participle nuncling, simple past and past participle nuncled)

  1. (England, regional) To cheat, deceive.
    Synonym: belirt

Anagrams

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