Save Gender Feminine Usage Urdu, Punjabi, Indian (Muslim) Scripts حنا(Urdu, Shahmukhi) हिना(Hindi) Meaning & History Derived from the Arabic حناء (ḥinnāʾ), which refers to a dye taken from the Lawsonia inermis plant (called "henna" in English). In South Asian and Middle Eastern culture, it was traditionally used for body art and dying.