# damma

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
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. 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/damma
