English
honey
Honey comes from Middle English hony, from Old English huniġ, from Proto-Germanic *hunagą, earlier *hunangą, from PIE *kn̥h₂onk-o-s.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kn̥h₂ónksreconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kn̥h₂onk-o-sreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hunangąreconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hunagąreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hunagreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150huniġ
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hony
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1591–1595honey
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kn̥h₂ónksreconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kn̥h₂onk-o-sreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hunangąreconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hunagąreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hunagreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150huniġ
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hony
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1591–1595honey
Earliest quotation: c. 1591–1595, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet: “O my love, my wife! / Death, that hath…”
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *kn̥h₂ónks
Today it means
noun A sweet, viscous, gold-colored fluid produced from plant nectar by bees, and often consumed by humans.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kn̥h₂ónks / honey