Dabbāba
/daˈbːaː.ba/noun
A covered siege engine or battering device used in medieval Islamic warfare.
Did you know?The name comes from the Arabic verb dabba, “to creep or move slowly,” the same root behind dābbah, a creature or moving beast.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*d-b-b
“A reconstructed root associated with creeping or moving slowly”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
dabba
“To creep, crawl, or move slowly”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
dābbah
“A moving creature, beast, or animal”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
dabbāba
“A covered siege engine that advanced slowly toward fortifications”
Medieval Period
Arabic
al-dabbāba
“The covered military machine used to shelter soldiers attacking a wall”
Modern English
English
dabbaba
“A historical Arabic siege engine or covered battering device”
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