Damme
/dæm/noun
An archaic oath or exclamation meaning “damn me.”
Did you know?“Damme” appears in Early Modern English as a minced or contracted form of “damn me,” reflecting the period’s fear that spoken curses could carry real spiritual force.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
damnāre
“to condemn, pronounce guilty, or inflict a penalty”
Late Latin
Latin
damnāre mē
“to condemn me; literally, “damn me””
Middle English
English
damnen
“to condemn or curse; the verb later became “damn””
16th Century
English
damme
“A contracted oath meaning “damn me,” used as an emphatic exclamation”
17th Century
English
damme
“An archaic swear word, especially associated with dramatic or colloquial speech”
Modern English
English
damme
“Obsolete or historical form of the oath “damn me””