Primarily denotes silence or stillness; by extension, can signify a place or condition of silence, such as the realm of the dead (Sheol) in poetic use, or metaphorically, utter desolation where no sound or life remains. The word expresses both physical silence (absence of sound) and metaphorical silence (cessation, end), and in some contexts refers to the silence of death or the grave.

Etymology Derived from the root דמה (damah), meaning 'to be silent, to perish, to resemble,' with the nominal form דֻּמָּה (dummâh) taking on the sense of 'silence' and by extension, 'place of silence' or 'desolation.' The formation is typical of feminine nouns from verbal roots.

Reflexes  · not yet grouped by proto-form

LanguageWordMeaningSegmentationRoot
Bemba tuma be silent (imperative/interjection, archaic/literary) t-m
Kaonde tuma be quiet, silence (interjection; archaic/literary) -tum-
Lamba tuma be silent (imperative/interjection, archaic; same as Bemba) -tum-