Camphire
/ˈkæm.faɪər/noun
An archaic English name for the henna plant, Lawsonia inermis, or its fragrant flowers.
Did you know?In the King James Bible, “camphire” appears in the Song of Solomon, but scholars generally identify it as henna rather than the modern camphor tree.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
כֹּפֶר (kōpher)
“The henna plant or its fragrant blossoms; the term appears in the Song of Solomon.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κύπρος (kýpros)
“Henna; the Greek translation used for the biblical plant name.”
Late Latin
Latin
cyprus
“Henna or the henna plant, borrowed from the Greek botanical term.”
Middle English
English
camphire
“A name for henna, probably reshaped through medieval forms and influenced by confusion with camphor.”
1611
English
camphire
“The spelling used in the King James Bible for the fragrant plant in Song of Solomon 1:14 and 4:13.”
Modern English
English
camphire
“An archaic or literary term for henna, now largely replaced by “henna.””