Alcanna
/ælˈkænə/noun
A name for the henna plant, Lawsonia inermis, or the reddish dye obtained from it.
Did you know?Henna dye has been used for thousands of years in body decoration and ceremony, but “alcanna” is chiefly an older European form of the word rather than an occult term itself.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḥinnāʾ
“The henna plant, Lawsonia inermis”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
al-ḥinnāʾ
“The henna; the Arabic definite article al- was attached to the plant’s name”
Medieval Spanish
Old Spanish
alheña
“Henna, especially the plant used for its dye”
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin
alcanna
“Henna or the henna plant, borrowed through Romance forms”
Modern English
English
alcanna
“An archaic or technical name for henna or its dye”