Hamah
/ˈhɑː.mə/noun
A historical English spelling and proper-name variant for Hama, a city in west-central Syria.
Did you know?Hamah is the older English spelling of Hama, whose ancient name appears in biblical sources as Hamath, one of the fortified city-states of the ancient Levant.
Etymological Timeline
Late Bronze Age
West Semitic
Ḥamath
“Ancient name of the Syrian city, traditionally interpreted as “fortress” or “fortified place””
1st Millennium BCE
Biblical Hebrew
Ḥamāt
“Hamath, a prominent fortified city mentioned in the Hebrew Bible”
Classical Antiquity
Greek
Emathá
“Greek rendering of the ancient city-name”
Early Islamic Period
Arabic
Ḥamāh
“Arabic name for the city in Syria”
Medieval English
English
Hamah
“Anglicized spelling used for the Syrian city”
Modern English
English
Hamah
“Historical or variant English form of Hama”