alheña

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish alhenna, from Arabic حِنَّاء (ḥinnāʔ), via Andalusian Arabic. Doublet of alcana.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈleɲa/ [aˈle.ɲa]
• Rhymes: -eɲa
• Syllabification: al‧he‧ña

Noun

alheña f (plural alheñas)

1. henna (shrub (Lawsonia inermis) and dye)

   Synonym: (colloquial) henna

2. privet (Ligustrum)

Further reading

• “alheña”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10