LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

malva

malva f (genitive malvae)
Classical[ˈmaɫ.wa]Ecclesiastical[ˈmal.va]

Meaning

  1. femininemallow

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativemalvamalvae
genitivemalvaemalvārum
dativemalvaemalvīs
accusativemalvammalvās
ablativemalvāmalvīs
vocativemalvamalvae

malva, ae, f. μαλάχη,
I. mallows: in magnis laudibus malva est utraque, et sativa, et silvestris. Duo genera earum amplitudine folii discernuntur: majorem Graeci malopen vocant in sativis. Alteram ab emoliendo ventre dictam putant malachen, etc., Plin. 20, 21, 84, § 222; Cic. Fam. 7, 26, 2; Mart. 10, 48, 7.

Origins

Unknown, but likely a substrate word related to Hebrew מַלּוּחַ (mallū́aḥ, “saltbush”) and Ancient Greek μαλάχη (malákhē, “mallow”). Compare also Middle Armenian բաղբակ (baġbak) and Georgian ბალბა (balba, “mallow”).

Descendants
  • Catalanmalva
  • Italianmalva
  • Occitanmalva
  • Frenchmauvefrom Old French mauve
  • Englishmauvefrom Old French mauve
  • Romanianmovfrom Old French mauve
  • Portuguesemalva
  • Romaniannalbă
  • Sardiniannarba
  • Sardinianmafra

Quick answers

What does malva mean in Latin?
malva, a noun, means “mallow”.
What is the genitive of malva?
The genitive singular is malvae. malva is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce malva?
In classical Latin, [ˈmaɫ.wa]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈmal.va].