Mali.

Internationalism, based on French Mali, ultimately continuing the name of the medieval Mali Empire. Medieval Arabic sources record forms corresponding to Mali, while Manding tradition uses forms such as Mande, Manden and Manding for the empire's core region and political tradition. The deeper origin and exact relationship between these forms are unknown. One proposed etymology connects the name with Mandinka mali (“hippopotamus”) or Dyula mali (“hippopotamus”), but this explanation is disputed and should not be treated as certain. The modern state took its name from the medieval Mali Empire when the former French colonial territory became independent in 1960. Parallel international adaptations include Norwegian Nynorsk Mali, Danish Mali, Swedish Mali, German Mali, Dutch Mali and English Mali.

Either a Norwegian form of Magdalene or a short form of Amalie. In the first analysis, the name belongs to the same Norwegian name family as Malene and Malin, ultimately continuing Ancient Greek Μαγδαληνή (Magdalēnḗ, “woman from Magdala”), the byname of Mary Magdalene, from Μαγδαλά (Magdalá, “Magdala”). The Norwegian form developed through the considerable shortening and adaptation characteristic of traditional Scandinavian forms of the name. In the second analysis, Mali is a shortened form of Amalie. The latter is a Norwegian form of the Latinized Germanic name Amalia, ultimately based on Germanic personal names containing Proto-Germanic *amalą (“hard work, toil, struggle”). The two proposed origins are etymologically unrelated.