mullein

Any of a few hundred species of European and Asian plants, of the genus Verbascum, especially that majority that have yellow flowers.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmʌlɪn/

Inherited from Middle English

Cognate with Breton

Cognate with Welsh

In summary

From Middle English moleyne, from Anglo-Norman moleine, which is either a Celtic borrowing and derived from Proto-Celtic *melinos (“yellow”) from *meli (“honey”) – an adjective found in Breton melen (“yellow”) and Welsh melyn (“yellow”) – or from mol (“soft”), from Latin mollis (“soft”), referencing the plant's fluffy, downy leaves, also apparent in synonyms such as feltwort, flannel leaf, and velvet plant.