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According to World Wide Words, "honeymoon" first appeared in the 16th century in Richard Huloet's "Abecedarium Anglico Latinum." "Honeymoon, a term proverbially applied to such as be new married, which will not fall out at the first, but the one loveth the other at the beginning exceedingly, the likelihood of their exceeding love appearing to assuage, the which time the vulgar people call the honey moon." So, in all those years, the meaning hasn't changed much. It's always referred to the period of time after marriage when love is, well, sweet. The "moon" in "honeymoon" is likely an allusion to a traditional way of measuring time. Moon phases have largely inspired our modern calendars. However, there are other opinions. Some believe the word originated in Babylon, named for the time when newly married couples (or just the husband) drank a special beverage which included mead, a honey-based drink. It may very well be true, but it's difficult to find evidence to support the story. Regardless of how the word originated, Mavens' Word of the Day confirms it didn't become associated with romantic "vacations" until the 18th century.
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