Mold
Middle English: apparently from Old French modle, from Latin modulus (see modulus).
wiktionary
From Middle English molde(“mold, cast”), from Old French modle, mole, from Latin modulus, from Latin modus. Doublet of module and model.
From Middle English mowlde, noun use and alteration of mowled, past participle of mowlen, moulen(“to grow moldy”), from Old Norse mygla (compare dialectal Danish mugle), from Proto-Germanic *muglōną, diminutive and denominative of *mukiz 'soft substance' (compare Old Norse myki, mykr(“cow dung”)), from Proto-Indo-European *mewk-(“slick, soft”). More at muck and meek.
From Middle English molde, from Old English molde, from Proto-Germanic *muldō(“dirt, soil”) (compare Old Frisian molde, Middle Dutch moude, Dutch moude, obsolete German Molte, Norwegian Bokmål mold, and Gothic 𐌼𐌿𐌻𐌳𐌰( mulda)), from Proto-Indo-European*ml̥h₂-téh₂ (compare Old Irish moll(“bran”), Lithuanian mìltai(“flour”)), from *melh₂-. More at meal.
From Middle English molde(“top of the head”), from Old English molda, molde, from Proto-West Germanic *moldō, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥Hdʰṓ; exactly parallel to Sanskrit मूर्धन्(mūrdhan).
etymonline
mold (n.1)
also mould, "hollow pattern of a particular form by which something is shaped or made," c. 1200, originally in a figurative sense, "fashion, form; nature, native constitution, character," metathesized from Old French modle "model, plan, copy; way, manner" (12c., Modern French moule), from Latin modulum (nominative modulus) "measure, model," diminutive of modus "manner" (from PIE root *med- "take appropriate measures").
By c. 1300 as "form into which molten metal, etc., is run to obtain a cast." By 1570s as "a form of metal or earthenware (later plastic) to give shape to jellies or other food. Figurative use of break the mold "render impossible the creation of another" is from 1560s.
mold (n.2)
also mould, "minute, furry fungus," especially the types growing on neglected food and decaying organic matter, c. 1400, molde, probably from moulde, past participle of moulen "to grow moldy" (early 13c.), related to Old Norse mygla "grow moldy," possibly from Proto-Germanic *(s)muk- indicating "wetness, slipperiness," from PIE *meug- (see mucus). Or it might have evolved from (or been influenced by) Old English molde "loose earth" (see mold (n.3)).
mold (n.3)
"fine, soft, loose earth," Old English molde "earth, sand, dust, soil; land, country, world," from Proto-Germanic *mulda (source also of Old Frisian molde "earth, soil," Old Norse mold "earth," Middle Dutch moude, Dutch moude, Old High German molta "dust, earth," Gothic mulda "dust"), from PIE root *mele- "to crush, grind." Specifically, since late (Christian) Old English, "the earth of the grave." Also, from c. 1300 as "earth as the substance out of which God made man; the 'dust' to which human flesh returns."
The proper spelling is mold, like gold (which is exactly parallel phonetically); but mould has long been in use, and is still commonly preferred in Great Britain. [Century Dictionary, 1897]
mold (v.)
also mould, mid-14c., "to mix, blend (something) by kneading;" late 14c. "to knead (bread), form into a particular shape," from mold (n.1). Figurative sense (of character, etc.) is from c. 1600. Related: Molded; molding.
