'alkekengi' originates from Arabic, specifically the word 'al-kākānīj', where 'al-' meant 'the' and 'kākānīj' referred to the plant.

'al-kākānīj' transformed into the Medieval Latin word 'alkekengi', and eventually became the modern English word 'alkekengi'.

Initially, it referred specifically to the plant, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.