dammusu
Sicilian
editAlternative forms
edit- tammusu (desonorized)
Etymology
editFrom 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
editNoun
editdammusu m (plural dammusi or dammusa)
- underground vault, obtained from the excavation of limestone and finished in masonry, intended for housing, whose internal temperature remains constant between summers and winters
- a limestone habitation typical of the Hyblaean Mountains. Cfr. dieri
- a small, stone habitation typical of Pantelleria
Derived terms
editRelated terms
editDescendants
edit- → Italian: dammuso