My waitress at Kaiserhof, my favorite San Diego restaurant, told me today that she was going on her honeymoon next week. A bit later, it occurred to me that "honeymoon" is a peculiar word. I checked a couple of on-line dictionaries, and found no satisfying explanation of its etymology. Just an odd word.

I will hazard a guess and say it is because viewing your honey's moon is now legally binding.

It is based upon the process of making mead from fermented honey for a wedding celebration. It takes a month to make, hence the word honey+moon. Honey for mead and a moon (month) to make it.

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It is based upon the process of making mead from fermented honey for a wedding celebration. It takes a month to make, hence the word honey+moon. Honey for mead and a moon (month) to make it.

Thanks, I was wondering about the word; we're in Maui (again) and I've been describing our trip as a second honeymoon.

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Originally posted by Wreckless:
It is based upon the process of making mead from fermented honey for a wedding celebration. It takes a month to make, hence the word honey+moon. Honey for mead and a moon (month) to make it.

Ah, so.

Merriam-Webster states that the etymology stems "from the idea that the first month of marriage is the sweetest"