Dabbaba
/dəˈbɑːbə/noun
A historical siege engine, especially a covered structure used to protect soldiers approaching fortifications, and later an Arabic term for a tank.
Did you know?The medieval dabbaba was not a vehicle but a mobile, roofed siege shelter designed to let attackers creep toward walls while shielded from missiles.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*d-b-b
“To move slowly, creep, or crawl”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
dabba
“He crawled, crept, or moved along the ground”
Early Islamic period
Arabic
dābbah
“A creeping or moving creature; an animal or beast”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
dabbābah
“A covered siege device that advanced toward fortifications”
19th–20th Century
Arabic
dabbābah
“A tank or armored vehicle, named for its crawling movement”
Modern English
English
dabbaba
“A historical Arabic siege engine or transliterated Arabic term for a tank”