Alheña
/alˈeɲa/noun
An archaic or dialectal English name for henna, the reddish dye obtained from the henna plant.
Did you know?The initial “al-” is the Arabic definite article meaning “the,” preserved in many European loanwords—including alchemy, algebra, and alheña.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Arabic
Arabic
al-ḥinnāʾ
“the henna plant or its dye; al- means “the””
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
ḥinnāʾ
“henna, a plant used for reddish body and hair dye”
Medieval Iberia
Arabic/Spanish
alḥenna
“the henna plant or dye, borrowed into Iberian Romance languages”
13th–15th Century
Old Spanish
alfena / alheña
“henna; in some contexts, also a name for privet”
Early Modern English
English
alhenna / alheña
“an archaic or dialectal term for henna”
Modern English
English
alheña
“a rare historical or dialectal variant of henna”