A nephew is a son of one's sibling or half-sibling, and a niece is a daughter of one's sibling or half-sibling. Sons and daughters of siblings-in-law are also referred to as nephews and nieces respectively, even though there is no blood relation. The word nephew is derived from the French word neveu. Historically, a nephew was the logical recipient of his uncle's inheritance if there was no son or daughter. The term 'nepotism', meaning familial loyalty, comes from the Latin term for a nephew.