indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Country, Political Subdivision, Settlement & Body of Water
Usage English
Meaning & History
From Malay Melaka, probably derived from the Malay name for the Indian gooseberry (genus Phyllanthus), a type of tree. This is the name of a state in southern Malaysia as well as a city (Malacca City) and a narrow body of water between the Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra (the Strait of Malacca). Historically, this was also the name of a 15th-century Malay sultanate.