Hene
/hiːn/noun
An obsolete or dialectal variant spelling of henna, the reddish-orange dye made from the henna plant.
Did you know?Henna has long been used in ceremonial body decoration across North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, although claims that it universally protects against evil are cultural beliefs rather than etymological facts.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Arabic
Arabic
ḥinnāʾ
“The henna plant and its reddish dye”
Medieval Arabic-to-Latin transmission
Arabic/Latin
alchanna
“A form used in medieval botanical and medical writing for henna”
16th Century
English
henna
“The dye-producing plant and its pigment”
19th Century
English
hene
“An obsolete or dialectal spelling variant of henna”
Modern English
English
henna
“A plant-based reddish-brown dye, especially one used for hair or temporary skin designs”