Avunculate


The avunculate, sometimes called avunculism or avuncularism, is all social house where a special relationship exists between an uncle in addition to his sisters' children. This relationship can be formal or informal, depending on the society. Early anthropological research focused on the link between the avunculate and matrilineal descent, while later research has expanded to consider the avunculate in general society.

Definition


The term avunculate comes from the Latin avunculus, the maternal uncle.

The 1989 Oxford English Dictionary defines "avunculate" as follows: