Etymology Map
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Honey

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means the sweet sticky food made by bees

Where does the word "honey" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic hunangą, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
hunangą
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"honey"
perhaps named for its golden colour, related to Sanskrit 'kanaka', gold
2
Stage 2 of 3
hunig
Old English · 700s-1000s
"honey"
fermented with water, it made mead
3
Stage 3 of 3
honey
English · 1500s
"honey"
used as a term of endearment since the 1300s
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Read the full story

Honey’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: hunangą meant “honey.” Perhaps named for its golden colour, related to Sanskrit 'kanaka', gold. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as hunig. Fermented with water, it made mead. It reached English by 1500s as honey. Used as a term of endearment since the 1300s. Today, honey means the sweet sticky food made by bees.