Damma

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    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 (wāw) immediately follows, it indicates a long ū /uː/.
  2. 2
    Alternative form of damma. alt-of, alternative, no-plural
  3. 3
    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.

Etymology

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.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.