Hinny is most certainly not a deravation of honey. What I have often found happening when it comes to the geordie language, and it is a language however diluted it has become in recent years, is that an academic will offer their views on the subject and it will be takne as gospel. Alternatively it can be written in a book, and we all know they are always accurate!

I am immensley proud of my geordie heritage and my accent is a part of my identity.

Geordie at one time was a language in it's own right, just as cornish was and welsh and gaelic are and it's roots lay with the vikings among others.

Hinny is a term of affection generally between family members, older to younger or husband to wife and as far as my family are aware it has come to mean beloved one.

For those who do not speak the language it would be easy to see a corruption of honey and take it to be exactly that. Just as supposing Hypocrite is derived in some way from Hippocrates as they sound similar and could be easily corrupted.