Uncle is a male family relationship or kinship within an extended or immediate family. Uncles are second-degree relatives and share 25% genetic overlap when they are the full brother of one of the biological parents. An uncle is the brother of a parent. A half-uncle is the half-brother of one's parent. Uncle-in-law can refer to the husband of one's aunt or uncle or the uncle of one's spouse. In some cultures and families, children may refer to the cousins of their parents as aunt or uncle due to the age difference. It is also a title of respect for elders. Using the term in this way is a form of fictive kinship. The female counterpart of an uncle is an aunt, and the reciprocal relationship is that of a nephew or niece. A great-uncle/granduncle/grand-uncle is the brother of one's grandparent.
In some cultures, like Albanian, Slavic, or Persian, no single inclusive term describing both a person's kinship to their parental male sibling or parental male in-law exists. Instead, there are specific terms describing a person's kinship to their mother's brother or a person's kinship to their father's brother. An analogous differentiation exists using separate terms to describe a person's kinship to their mother's female sibling,, and a person's kinship to their father's female sibling,. Furthermore, in Persian culture the terms used to describe a person's kinship to their maternal or paternal in-laws bear clear and unambiguous descriptions of that relationship, differentiating the parental in-laws from blood-relatives. For example, there is a specific term describing a person's kinship to the spouse of their paternal uncle. This clarifies that kinship is to the spouse of the person's paternal male sibling, as opposed to a blood-relationship.
Irish
Uncles and aunts are considered important in modern Irish culture and are usually chosen to be godfather or godmother of children during Catholicbaptism. A young Irish person might seek the counsel of their favorite aunt or uncle before making an important decision, and the opinion of the respective aunt or uncle is treated seriously.
South Asian
In India, unambiguous names are used for various uncles such as father’s brother chacha. If the brother of your father is elder than your father then he is called Tauji. Your mother’s brother is called Mama. Your paternal aunt’s husband is called Fufa and your maternal aunt’s husband is called Mausa in Hindi. Likewise, in neighbouring Bangladesh, mother's brother is also Mama as well father's brother as Chacha. A paternal aunt's husband is Phupha and maternal aunt's husband is Khalu.
Due to the loving image of an old but wise and friendly uncle in many cultures the word has been used as a loving nickname for many people. In Tibetan mythologyAkhu Tönpa is a familiar and well-beloved figure. The American national personificationUncle Sam serves as an allegorical fatherly figure to many Americans. Various children's TV hosts have used uncle as their nickname, including Walt Disney, Bob Davidse, Edwin Rutten. The Dutch poet Ome Ko also used uncle as part of his pseudonym. Rich, wise or otherwise eccentric uncles are also popular in works of fiction.
Jesse Katsopolis, in the television series Full House and Fuller House, referred to as "Uncle Jesse" by his three nieces DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle Tanner.
