The dictionary.com word of the day yesterday was avuncular. The original Latin root, avunculus - maternal uncle - got me thinking about a little of the research on ProtoIndoEuropean that I did last summer (mainly in this book, which I recommend - especially if you can get it from the library or interlibrary loan). Scholars believe the maternal uncle played a special role in PIE culture, probably having some responsibility for a boy that his father could not fulfill as well because of the competition within the clan.

Nepotism is also a related concept, sharing common roots with nephew. We view nepotism as a bad thing, but it was my impression that it was necessary in PIE culture.