dammusu

Sicilian

Alternative forms

• tammusu (desonorized)

Etymology

From Arabic دَمُّوس (dammūs), variant of دَيْمَاس (daymās). Ultimately from Ancient Greek δημόσιον (dēmósion, “public building; treasury; public prison; public bath”), the neuter of δημόσιος (dēmósios, “public”) Compare furthermore Doric Greek δᾱμόσῐος (dāmósios).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /damˈmu.su/ (Standard)
• Hyphenation: dam‧mù‧su

Noun

dammusu m (plural dammusi or dammusa)

1. underground vault, obtained from the excavation of limestone and finished in masonry, intended for housing, whose internal temperature remains constant between summers and winters
   1. a limestone habitation typical of the Hyblaean Mountains. Cfr. dieri
2. a small, stone habitation typical of Pantelleria

Derived terms

• dammusaru

 

Related terms

• arcova
• arcu
• calancu
• casuḍḍa
• costa
• dieri
• grutta
• munti
• muru a siccu
• petra janca
• serra
• tannura
• vota

 

Descendants

• → Italian: dammuso