late 14c., spelling alteration of late Old English malwe and directly from Latin malva "mallows" (source also of Modern French mauve, Spanish and Italian malva), a word from a Mediterranean substrate language. The same lost word apparently yielded Greek malakhe "mallow."

"of or pertaining to the mallow," 1690s, from Late Latin malvaceus, from Latin malva (see mallow).

reddish-purple aniline dye, 1859, from French mauve, from Old French mauve "mallow" (13c.), from Latin malva "mallow" (see mallow). The dye was so called from its resemblance to the purple markings of the petals of the mallow plant. Related: Mauvish.

common green ore of copper, a basic carbonate of copper having a beautiful green color, late 14c., from French malachite, ultimately from Greek malachitis (lithos) "mallow (stone)," from malakhe "mallow" (see mallow (n.)); the mineral traditionally so called from the resemblance of its color to that of the leaves of the mallow plant.

Old English mersc-mealwe "kind of mallow plant (Althea officinalis) which grows near salt marshes;" from marsh + mallow. The confection (so called from 1877) originally was made from paste from the mucilaginous roots of this plant. The Greek word for the shrub, althaea, is from althein, althainein "to heal, get well" (the roots were used medicinally), from PIE root *al- (2) "to grow, nourish."