Alchanna
/ælˈkænə/noun
A name for the henna plant, or the reddish dye obtained from it.
Did you know?Henna dye comes from lawsone, a molecule that binds to keratin and produces the familiar orange-red body markings.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Arabic
Arabic
al-ḥinnāʾ
“the henna plant; al- is the definite article and ḥinnāʾ is the plant’s name”
Medieval Arabic and Romance transmission
Arabic/Spanish
al-ḥinnāʾ → alheña
“The Arabic plant name entered Iberian Romance languages, where it referred to henna and its dye”
Medieval Latin
Latin
alcanna
“Henna or a red dye-producing plant, transmitted through Arabic and Romance sources”
16th Century
English
alcanna
“A name for henna or the reddish dye made from it”
17th–19th Century
English
alchanna
“An established variant spelling for the henna plant and its dye”
Modern English
English
alchanna
“An archaic or specialist name for henna”