noun, verb — 3 senses
Etymology 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.
Anthropology, Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences Aunt or uncle; sibling of a parent (regardless of gender).
In the study of kinship terminology
Etymology 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.
Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.