Hon
/hʌn/noun
An informal term of endearment, shortened from “honey.”
Did you know?“Hon” emerged as an affectionate clipping of “honey,” whose ancient Indo-European root is connected to words for intoxicating honey-drinks, including “mead.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mélid
“Honey”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μέθυ (méthy)
“Wine or other intoxicating drink”
Old English
Old English
hunig
“Honey”
Middle English
Middle English
hony / honi
“Honey; a term of affection”
20th Century
American English
hon
“A familiar shortened form of “honey””
Modern English
English
hon
“An informal affectionate form of address”
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