Hammah
/ˈhæmə/noun
A natural hot spring, especially one in the Middle East.
Did you know?Hammah is related to Arabic ḥammām, the source of the English word “hammam,” because both derive from a Semitic root meaning “to be hot.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḥ-m-m
“A reconstructed root associated with heat or being hot.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḥamma
“A hot spring or heated natural water source.”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
ḥammāh
“A thermal spring, especially one valued for bathing or healing.”
19th Century
English
hammah
“An English loanword for a natural hot spring in the Middle East.”
Modern English
English
hammah
“A natural hot spring, particularly in the Middle East.”