Original form uncertain. In Written Mongolian as ᠮᠠᠯᠠᠭᠠᠢ(malaɣai), but forms such as Middle Mongolianماقي(maqai) and مَقَلاي(maqalai) are also attested.
More distantly, Ramstedt connected it with Taz Selkup[script needed](mola, “summer cap”), and Starostin with Evenkiмука̄(“furcoat”).