An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Malve
Malve, feminine, ‘mallow,’ Modern High German only, from Latin (Italian) malva; if it were borrowed at an early period, lv in Latin ought to have changed into lb in Modern High German. In England the Latin term was adopted in very early times; hence Anglo-Saxon mealwe, English mallow (Dutch maluwe). Compare also French mauve.