damma

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noun

In the Arabic script, the vowel point for u, appearing as a small curl placed above a letter ( ـُ ) and designating a short u /u/. If the Arabic letter و (w) immediately follows, it indicates a long ū /uː/.

OriginArabic ضَمَّة →
Scrabble 10
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Meanings

damma1

noundamma (plural dammas or damma)

plural dammas · alternative ḍamma · alternative Damma · alternative dammah

  1. human sciencesIn the Arabic script, the vowel point for u, appearing as a small curl placed above a letter ( ـُ ) and designating a short u /u/. If the Arabic letter و (w) immediately follows, it indicates a long ū /uː/.
  2. In Iranian Persian ـُ represents the vowel /o/. If the letter ـو immediately follows it represents the diphthong /ow/. This usage differs from other Arabic script languages and from classical Persian, in which the diphthong /ow/ did not occur.

Damma2

nounDamma (plural not attested)
  1. alternativeno pluralAlternative form of damma.

Origin

  1. Arabicضَمَّة“a joining”
  2. Englishdamma

Borrowed from Arabic ضَمَّة (ḍamma, “a joining”), instance noun of the verb ضَمَّ (ḍamma, “to join”). Refers to the joining of the lips together when making an /u/ sound.

More words from Arabic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic ضَمَّة
  • ضَمَّة (ḍamma)an Arabic diacritic denoting the vowel point "u" (ḍamma)
Chinese Mandarin 合口符
  • 合口符 (hékǒufú)an Arabic diacritic denoting the vowel point "u" (ḍamma)
French damma
  • dammaan Arabic diacritic denoting the vowel point "u" (ḍamma)
German Damma
  • Dammaan Arabic diacritic denoting the vowel point "u" (ḍamma)
Hindi पेश, ज़म्मा
  • पेश (peś)an Arabic diacritic denoting the vowel point "u" (ḍamma)
  • ज़म्मा (zammā)an Arabic diacritic denoting the vowel point "u" (ḍamma)
Japanese ダンマ
  • ダンマ (damma)an Arabic diacritic denoting the vowel point "u" (ḍamma)
Korean 담마
  • 담마 (damma)an Arabic diacritic denoting the vowel point "u" (ḍamma)
Malay baris depan, baris di hadapan
  • baris depanan Arabic diacritic denoting the vowel point "u" (ḍamma)
  • baris di hadapanan Arabic diacritic denoting the vowel point "u" (ḍamma)
  • dammahan Arabic diacritic denoting the vowel point "u" (ḍamma)
Russian да́мма
  • да́мма (dámma)an Arabic diacritic denoting the vowel point "u" (ḍamma)
Turkish damma, ötre
  • dammaan Arabic diacritic denoting the vowel point "u" (ḍamma)
  • ötrean Arabic diacritic denoting the vowel point "u" (ḍamma)
Urdu پیش, ضَمَّہ
  • پیش (peś)an Arabic diacritic denoting the vowel point "u" (ḍamma)
  • ضَمَّہ (zamma)an Arabic diacritic denoting the vowel point "u" (ḍamma)

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

madammamad
Cite this entry
APA

damma. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/damma

MLA

“damma.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/damma. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “damma,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/damma.

Source: damma on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.