Well, mãlai seems to be millet; only that it has specialized
on corn, while the related form mei [mey] is reserved
for millet. (I don't know which of both - if any - is a direct
derivation from milium.)
>Is this "Malay corn"?
This one would be nice. But I think we can be sure
that, when they chose the word for the new plant
and its produce, they hadn't heard of Malays.