Weekly Etymology 001.

HONEYMOON

This week’s entry is Honeymoon an often used term which has some interesting but mistaken definitions.

So let’s get down to it and find the truth of the matter. A fanciful 19th-century theory claimed that the word alludes to “the custom of the higher order of the Teutones… to drink Mead, or Metheglin, a beverage made with honey, for thirty days after every wedding”, but the theory is now rejected. This is what lead me to examine the term, but as we well know the truth is often different. Honeymoon as indefinite period of tenderness and pleasure experienced by a newly wed couple,“ 1540s (hony moone), but probably older, from honey (n.) in reference to the new marriage’s sweetness, and moon (n.) "month” in reference to how long it probably will last, or from the changing aspect of the moon: no sooner full than it begins to wane. French has cognate lune de miel, but German version is flitterwochen (plural), from flitter"tinsel" + wochen "week.“ In figurative use from 1570s. Specific sense of "post-wedding holiday” attested from c. 1800.

In Western culture and Westernized countries’ cultures, the custom of a newlywed couple’s going on a holiday together originated in early-19th-century Great Britain. Upper-class couples would take a “bridal tour”, sometimes accompanied by friends or family, to visit relatives who had not been able to attend the wedding. The practice soon spread to the European continent and was known in France as a voyage à la façon anglaise (translation: English-style voyage), from the 1820s onwards.

Honeymoons in the modern sense—a pure holiday voyage undertaken by the couple—became widespread during the Belle Époque, as one of the first instances of modern mass tourism. This came about despite initial disapproval by contemporary medical opinion (which worried about women’s frail health) and by savoir vivre guidebooks (which referred to the public attention drawn to what was assumed to be the wife’s sexual initiation). The most popular honeymoon destinations at the time were the French Riviera and Italy, particularly its seaside resorts and romantic cities such as Rome, Verona, and Venice. Typically honeymoons would start on the night of the marriage, with the couple leaving midway through the reception to catch a late train or ship. However, in the 21st century, many couples will not leave until 1–3 days after the ceremony and reception. In Jewish traditions, honeymoons are often put off seven days to allow for the seven nights of feasting if the visits to friends and family cannot be incorporated into the trip.

So there we have it. The Honeymoon is now over, etymological speaking of course.