Can a great uncle be refereed to as a paternal ancestor

[Chris Anderson]

Random question 

Does it make grammatical sense to say that a great great great uncle (on someones fatherline) is a "paternal ancestor"?

[iluleah]

An ancestor  is a parent , a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent, and so forth...so strictly speaking the brother of an ancestor

[Marmalady]

Ancestors are usually direct line

So for great-uncles etc I would say a "connection"

[Erato]

An ancestor  is a parent , a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent, and so forth...so strictly speaking the brother of an ancestor

True enough if you take the animal husbandry bloodline approach to family history.  On the other hand, an uncle or a step parent or even a more distant relative or an in-law might be a very key individual in the financial, professional, emotional or intellectual trajectory of a family.  I consider all of them to be ancestors who had their input, however minor.

[iluleah]

An ancestor  is a parent , a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent, and so forth...so strictly speaking the brother of an ancestor

True enough if you take the animal husbandry bloodline approach to family history.  On the other hand, an uncle or a step parent or even a more distant relative or an in-law might be a very key individual in the financial, professional, emotional or intellectual trajectory of a family.  I consider all of them to be ancestors who had their input, however minor.

That was not the question!
Is the brother of a direct ancestor your ancestor? No....so brother of ancestor, indirect or extended family maybe, however "financial, professional, emotional or intellectual trajectory of a family" is about family history research.

[Erato]

As I said, if you take a bloodline approach to things.  I just happen to think that people are more than their genes.

[IJDisney]

Random question 

Does it make grammatical sense to say that a great great great uncle (on someones fatherline) is a "paternal ancestor"?

I believe the term is "ancestral uncle on the paternal side".

[Gadget]

I would think it would be easier to say paternal 3xgreat uncle.

Also, I agree wholeheartedly with Erato. Family and kinship are far more than a genetic inheritance.

Gadget

[pinefamily]

I agree with Erato and Gadget. I wouldn't take the term "ancestor" as meaning direct line only, but rather anyone who is in my family tree.