hon - Wiktionary, the free dictionary


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Shortened from honey.

The transgender slang sense derives from the supposedly abundant use of "hon" as a term of address by older male-to-female transgender people, presumably as a way to verbally affect a femininity they are otherwise perceived by some to lack (due to not passing well), and is especially associated with the cliché phrase "you look great, hon". Derogatory sense likely came about from users of 4chan's /lgbt/ board mocking the discourse on transgender forum Susan's Place.

hon (plural hons)

  1. (mostly as a term of address) Honey, sweetheart, a term of endearment; (Southern US) a friendly term of address.

    Hey, hon! How was your day at work?

  2. (4chan /lgbt/ slang, derogatory) A trans woman who does not pass; a clocky trans woman.
    Antonym: passoid
    • 2015 October 18, anonymous author, 4chan[2], /lgbt/:

      If you didn't experience that you'll end up one of those ugly SJW programmer transbian hons with dyed hair sucking each other's dicks while acting like men in every way possible.

    • [2018 July 10, @addamschloe, Twitter[3], archived from the original on 2022-05-07:

      [cw anti-trans slurs] I get that they're rarer than 'trap' (being used to describe trans women as intentional deceivers) but I'd like it if people could be equally hostile to the terms 'brick' and 'hon' honestly
      it's all transmisic garbage
      ]

    • [2018 July 10, @addamschloe, Twitter[4], archived from the original on 2021-06-05:

      'brick' refers to a trans woman who doesn't 'pass', 'hon' refers to a trans woman who doesn't pass and also is nice to other trans women who don't pass, particularly used against older trans women]

    • 2020 May 12, @MsBdUnicorn, Twitter[5], archived from the original on 2023-02-20:

      Consider the fact that /tttt/ calls any positive trans space a hugbox full of hons. We're still hung up about passing and it's so pathetic.

    • 2022 June 2, @stacycay, Twitter[6], archived from the original on 2022-11-15:

      listen hon, if you're a "biological boy" that's cool and all but the rest of us are trans women.

    • [2022 September 16, @mishawave, Twitter[7], archived from the original on 2022-11-15:

      i feel like that depends on how you're using it. referring to yourself as a "hon", or using it as a joke, sure. but calling other trans people hons directly or indirectly is a bit far imo. it's an insult about something specific, so it's different from general slurs like "tranny"]

    • 2019 April 16, Andrea James, “Transgender slang, slurs, and controversial words”, in Transgender Map[8], archived from the original on 2023-04-08:

      It [the word "hon"] comes from the cliché, "You look great, hon," which is often used by older transitioners who do not "pass."

    • 2018 August 17, Natalie Wynn, “Incels”, in ContraPoints[9]:

      [24:45] On TTTT, a major piece of jargon is "hon," a slur used by trans women for other trans women.

Translations

The laugh probably originated as a parody of French singer and actor Maurice Chevalier (1888–1972) who was noted for his strong accent in English, and does not represent a typical French laugh.[1] The stereotype was popularized in Internet memes in the mid-2000s and 2010s.[2]

hon

  1. (humorous) Representing a stereotypical French laugh.

    Hon hon hon, oui oui baguette!

    • 2020 May 28, “The sex scandals, walkouts and boos of Cannes Film Festival”, in New York Post[11], New York, N.Y.: News Corp, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-08-18:

      What cinephiles have missed most this spring are the cries of "hon hon hon!" — the bitchy sound of French laughter — bellowing from the Côte d'Azur.

    • 2023 August 18, Kyle Buchanan, “Uma Thurman’s ’Red, White & Royal Blue’ Accent Is One to Savor”, in The New York Times[12], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-09-22:

      [Ridley] Scott once said that forcing French accents on the stars of "The Last Duel" would have been "a disaster," but on that count, I beg to differ. Imagine Ben Affleck winding up to crucial lines with a snooty "a-hon-hon-hon!" Now that you have, you won't want to go without.

Clipping of come on with devoicing of /m/. Compare c'mon.

hon

  1. (Ireland, slang); (typically) cheering a sports team, especially a GAA team; exhortation or encouragement come on; congratulations well done, bravo.
    • 2016 August 17, Jennifer Dollard "Seagulls cover Beastie Boys' 'Sabotage'" Today FM:
      We're not normally impressed by this kind of stuff but h'on the lads! This is pretty good.
    • 2017 April 7, Johnny Watterson, John O'Sullivan, “Liveblog: US Masters: Day One”, in The Irish Times:

      22:23 BIRDIE: Lowry (-2) can't find the bottom of the cup with his eagle putt but taps in for birdie. Hon the Offalyman. He's one behind the leaders, McGirt and Hoffman

hon (plural hons)

  1. Alternative form of hoon (Indian gold coin)
  1. ^ “Why do people think the French say 'hon hon hon' when they laugh?”, in The Local[1], 2017 March 14, archived from the original on 2017-09-14
  2. ^ Hon Hon Hon”, in Know Your Meme, launched 2007

Compare Welsh ein. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

hon

  1. our

hon

  1. Archaic form of on.
  • “hon” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Clipping of English honours degree.

hon

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese, education) (classification of) honours degree
    first hon畢業first hon毕业 [Hong Kong Cantonese]  ―  first on1 bat1 jip6 [Jyutping]  ―  to graduate with a first-class honour degree
    hon [Hong Kong Cantonese]  ―  mou5 on1 [Jyutping]  ―  [degree] without honours classification

From Old Czech hon, from Proto-Slavic *gonъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *gánas, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰónos.

hon m inan

  1. hunt, chase
    hon na liškufox hunt
  • While lov may refer to any kind of hunting, hon refers only to those which involve chasing such as of ducks or fox.
  • hon”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935-1957
  • hon”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
  • hon”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech)

From Old Norse hón, from Proto-Germanic *hēnō. Cognate with Icelandic hún, Danish hun and Norwegian Bokmål hun.

hon

  1. she

From the archaic honn (at home).

hon (plural honok)

  1. (literary) home, homeland, fatherland
    Synonym: haza
Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony)
singular plural
nominative hon honok
accusative hont honokat
dative honnak honoknak
instrumental honnal honokkal
causal-final honért honokért
translative honná honokká
terminative honig honokig
essive-formal honként honokként
essive-modal
inessive honban honokban
superessive honon honokon
adessive honnál honoknál
illative honba honokba
sublative honra honokra
allative honhoz honokhoz
elative honból honokból
delative honról honokról
ablative hontól honoktól
non-attributive
possessive - singular
honé honoké
non-attributive
possessive - plural
honéi honokéi
Possessive forms of hon
possessor single possession multiple possessions
1st person sing. honom honaim
2nd person sing. honod honaid
3rd person sing. hona honai
1st person plural honunk honaink
2nd person plural honotok honaitok
3rd person plural honuk honaik
  • (homeland): hon in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
  • (alternative form of honn (at home, rare, archaic)): hon in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

From Central Franconian hann, from Middle High German haben, from Old High German havēn, northern variant of habēn.

hon

  1. to have

    Ich hon en gros Haus.

    I have a big house.

    Hod-der Zeid fer mich se hellfe?

    Do you have time to help me?

    Ich had en komischer Draam gester Nacht.

    I had a weird dream last night.
  2. (auxiliary, with a past participle) to have (forms the perfect)

    Er hod es gemach.

    He has done it.
Irregular with past tense and conditional mood
infinitive hon
participle gehad
auxiliary hon
present
indicative
past
indicative
conditional
ich hon had häd
du host hast häst
er/sie/es hod had häd
meer hon hade häde
deer hod had häd
sie hon hade häd
The use of the present participle is uncommon, but can be made with the suffix -end.

From the archaic form hón.

hon (personal pronoun):

  1. (archaic) she

  Icelandic personal pronouns

Icelandic personal pronouns
singular first person second person third person masculine third person feminine third person neuter
nominative ég, eg, ek þú hann hún, hon, hón það, þat
accusative mig, mik þig, þik hann hana það, þat
dative mér þér honum, hánum henni því
genitive mín þín hans hennar þess
plural first person second person third person masculine third person feminine third person neuter
nominative við þið, þit þeir þær þau
accusative okkur ykkur þá þær þau
dative okkur ykkur þeim þeim þeim
genitive okkar ykkar þeirra þeirra þeirra

hon

  1. Rōmaji transcription of ほん

From English horn.

hon (Jawi spelling هون, plural hon-hon, informal 1st possessive honku, 2nd possessive honmu, 3rd possessive honnya)

  1. automobile horn

Borrowed from Middle Irish úain (time), from Old Irish úan (loan), from oidid (to lend). Compare Irish uain (loan, time, leisure), Scottish Gaelic on, oin (loan, laziness).

hon (uncountable)

  1. (Northern, North Midland) delay, hesitation

hon (third-person singular simple present honeth, present participle honende, honynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle honed)

  1. Alternative form of honen (to linger)

hon

  1. Alternative form of on

hon

  1. Alternative form of oon

hon

  1. Alternative form of oon

hon (plural hones)

  1. Alternative form of hond

hon (third-person singular simple present hoþ, present participle honde, first-/third-person singular past indicative heng, past participle ihon)

  1. (Early Middle English) Alternative form of hongen

From Proto-West Germanic *hą̄han.

hōn

  1. to hang
  2. to suspend

hon m

  1. Alternative form of hom

From Old Norse hón, from Proto-Germanic *hēnō.

hōn

  1. she

Old Swedish personal pronouns

first person second person reflexive third person
masculine feminine neuter
singular
nominative iak, iæk þū han hōn þæt
accusative mik, mek þik sik han hana, hōna þæt
dative mǣ(r), mik þǣ(r), þik sǣ(r), sik hōnum, hānum hænni þȳ, þī
genitive mīn þīn sīn hans hænna(r) þæs
dual
nominative vit it
accusative oker *iker sik
dative oker *iker sǣr, sik
genitive okar *ikar sīn
plural
nominative vī(r) ī(r) þē(r) þā(r) þø̄n, þē(n)
accusative os, ōs iþer sik þā þā(r) þø̄n, þē(n)
dative os, ōs iþer sǣr, sik þēm, þø̄m, þom þēm, þø̄m, þom þēm, þø̄m, þom
genitive vār iþar sīn þēra þēra þēra

Cognate with Assamese কোন (kün), Hindi कौन (kaun), Romani kon.

hon

  1. who

From Old Swedish hōn, from Old Norse hón, from Proto-Germanic *hēnō (compare *ainaz). Cognate with Icelandic hún, Danish hun and Norwegian Bokmål hun.

hon

  1. she; the third-person, singular, feminine pronoun in the nominative case

    Hon är mycket vacker.

    She is very beautiful.
  2. it (for certain nouns that were feminine in Old Swedish)

    Vad är hon?

    What (time) is it?

    Går hon bra?

    Is it (the car) working all right?

Swedish personal pronouns

Number Person Type Nominative Oblique Possessive
common neuter plural
singular first jag mig, mej3 min mitt mina
second du dig, dej3 din ditt dina
third masculine (person) han honom, han2, en5 hans
feminine (person) hon henne, na5 hennes
gender-neutral (person)1 hen hen, henom7 hens
common (noun) den den dess
neuter (noun) det det dess
indefinite man or en4 en ens
reflexive sig, sej3 sin sitt sina
plural first vi oss vår, våran2 vårt, vårat2 våra
second ni er er, eran2, ers6 ert, erat2 era
archaic I eder eder, eders6 edert edra
third de, dom3 dem, dom3 deras
reflexive sig, sej3 sin sitt sina

1Neologism. Usage has increased since 2010, and has gained widespread acceptance today.

2Informal

4Dialectal, also used lately as an alternative to man, to avoid association to the male gender.

5Informal, somewhat dialectal

6Formal address

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

hon

  1. definite singular of ho

From Middle High German haben, from Old High German havēn, northern variant of habēn.

hon

  1. to have

From Proto-Celtic *sindos.

hon f

  1. (formal) (in conjuction with the definite article y) this

    Mae'r nofel hon yn well o lawer na'r nofel honno.

    This novel is a lot better than that novel.

    Mae'r holl sefyllfa hon yn benbleth fawr.

    This entire situation is real condundrum.
  • Refers to grammatically feminine singular nouns, hwn (this) being the masculine singular and hyn (this) the (masculine and feminine) plural equivalents.
  • In informal language, hon as a determiner is replaced with yma (there) used in conjunction with the definite article y, or in some southern dialects with the definite article and hyn.
    (formal) y ddadl honthis debate
    = (informal) y ddadl 'ma
    = (South Wales, informal) y ddadl hyn
    (formal) yr eiliad honthis second
    = (informal) yr eiliad 'ma
    = (South Wales, informal) yr eiliad hyn

hon f

  1. this

    Mae hon yn well o lawer na honno.

    This is a lot better than that.

    Mae hon yn benbleth fawr.

    This is real condundrum.
  • Refers to grammatically feminine singular nouns, hwn (this) being the masculine singular equivalent. In addition, hyn (this) is used nonreferentially, for example, when talking about a general situation, action or event, rather than any particular noun.
  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “hon”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

hon

  1. First person dual subject (medial position)
    we two
  2. First person plural subject (medial position)
    we (three or more)