nephew

From Middle English nevew, neveu (“nephew, grandson”), from Old French neveu, from Latin nepos, nepōtem, from Proto-Italic *nepōts (“nephew, grandson”), whence also French neveu, Italian nipote. Displaced or absorbed the inherited English neve (“nephew, grandson, male cousin”), from Middle English neve, from Old English nefa, from Proto-West Germanic *nefō, from Proto-Germanic *nefô (“nephew, grandson”), whence Dutch neef, German Neffe. All ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *népōts (“grandchild, sister's son”). Cognate with Serbo-Croatian nećak, Irish nia, Persian نوه (nave).

Spelt with -ph- by readaptation to Latin nepos since the 15th century, which later triggered the spelling pronunciation with /f/.

• enPR: nĕfʹyo͞o, IPA^(key): /ˈnɛf.ju/
• (Received Pronunciation, dated) IPA^(key): /ˈnɛv.ju/

• Audio (US):

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nephew (plural nephews)

1. A son of one's sibling, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law; either a son of one's brother (fraternal nephew) or a son of one's sister (sororal nephew).

   Synonym: (obsolete) neve

   Hypernyms: nephling, nibling

   Hyponyms: fraternal nephew, sororal nephew

   Coordinate terms: niece, nift

2. A son of one's cousin or cousin-in-law
3. (archaic) A son of one's child.

   Synonym: grandson

   • 1567, Ovid, “The First Booke”, in Arthur Golding, transl., The XV. Bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, Entytuled Metamorphosis, […], London: […] Willyam Seres […], →OCLC:

     Hir father many a time and oft would say my daughter deere,
     Of Nephewes thou my debtour art, their Graundsires heart to chéere.

• nephling
• nibling

• nepotism
• neve
• niece
• nift

• nephew on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

nephew

1. Alternative form of nevew