----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Hutchins" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 4:02 PM Subject: Re: [ENG-CAMS] What is an Uncle > It probably is as much about convention as anything. <SNIP> The convention may stem from this relationship being one of the prohibited degrees of relationship for marriage (until 1931). In this case the relationship(s) are stated as: A woman cannot marry her father's sister's husband OR mother's sister's husband (i.e. an 'uncle' by marriage). A man cannot marry his father's brother's wife OR mother's brother's wife (i.e. an 'aunt' by marriage). The prohibition was removed by The Marriage Act 1931 provided that the actual 'blood' aunt or uncle, as applicable was dead. Aside from that, the terms uncle and aunt tended to be pretty loosely applied. My mother's brothers-in-law were always known to me as 'Uncle' - but then so were the unmarried partners of both my grandmothers! Cheers, Cliff of Coventry