ēam
masculine
The word for uncle in Old English is ēam. Wiktionary also lists fædera.
Meaning: brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Old English | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ēam | masculine | |
| fædera | /ˈfæ.de.rɑ/ | masculine |
The term refers to the brother or brother-in-law of someone's parent.
Which one should you use?
Old English kept the two sides of the family apart. ēam was the mother's brother and fædera was the father's brother.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both ēam and fædera are masculine nouns.
Did you know?
- Old English distinguished between maternal and paternal uncles, a distinction that disappeared in Modern English. The word ēam specifically referred to the mother's brother.
- The word fædera is an etymological relative of the word 'father'.
- In many Germanic-rooted systems like the one providing ēam, the distinction between maternal and paternal relatives was a vital part of legal and social identity.
Examples in context
- Þes mann is mīn ēam.This man is my uncle.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use ēam to identify a person.Tatoeba #13884440 by rul, translation #13635280 by rul
- Wes þū hāl, mīn ēam.Be well, my uncle.
- Mīn ēam is strang.My uncle is strong.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Eadric and Mildryth are talking about their family members.
- EadricHwǣr is þīn ēam?Where is your uncle?
- MildrythHē is on þām tūne.He is in the village.
- EadricIs hē gōd?Is he good?
- MildrythGēa, mīn ēam is wīs.Yes, my uncle is wise.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “uncle” translations and entries fædera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fædera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
