Here's what we know:
* Ancient Origins: Malayalam is believed to have originated from Tamil, with influences from Sanskrit.
* Early Forms: The earliest attested writings in a language related to Malayalam appear in inscriptions from the 9th century CE in the Kerala region.
* Emergence as a Distinct Language: By the 14th century CE, Malayalam had clearly emerged as a distinct language with its own grammar and vocabulary, evidenced by literary works like the "Ramacharitam" by Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan.
Therefore, while we can't pinpoint an exact year, we can say that Malayalam has been a distinct language for at least the past 700 years, and its roots go back to the 9th century CE.
It's worth noting that there's ongoing scholarly debate about the precise timeline of Malayalam's evolution. However, the above provides a general understanding of its age.