Uncertain. Ge'ez ድጕልማ (dəgʷləma), ድልጕማ (dəlgʷəma) may be its origin, even in spite of or because of a Sabaean 𐩵𐩴𐩡𐩣𐩩𐩣 (dglmtm, plural) attested in the same meaning, reported as booty from the Aethiopians; which does not exclude ultimate origin in a language of Southern Arabia. Yemeni Arabic provides a verb دَمْلَج (damlaj, “to roll”), such as Egyptian Arabic دحرج (dahrag), so it might be literally something “rolled around”, as also suggested by the root د م ل (d-m-l) related to adjustion and د م ج (d-m-j) related to insertion.
دُمْلُوج • (dumlūj) m (plural دَمَالِيج (damālīj))
| Singular | basic singular triptote | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | دُمْلُوج dumlūj |
الدُّمْلُوج ad-dumlūj |
دُمْلُوج dumlūj |
| Nominative | دُمْلُوجٌ dumlūjun |
الدُّمْلُوجُ ad-dumlūju |
دُمْلُوجُ dumlūju |
| Accusative | دُمْلُوجًا dumlūjan |
الدُّمْلُوجَ ad-dumlūja |
دُمْلُوجَ dumlūja |
| Genitive | دُمْلُوجٍ dumlūjin |
الدُّمْلُوجِ ad-dumlūji |
دُمْلُوجِ dumlūji |
| Dual | Indefinite | Definite | Construct |
| Informal | دُمْلُوجَيْن dumlūjayn |
الدُّمْلُوجَيْن ad-dumlūjayn |
دُمْلُوجَيْ dumlūjay |
| Nominative | دُمْلُوجَانِ dumlūjāni |
الدُّمْلُوجَانِ ad-dumlūjāni |
دُمْلُوجَا dumlūjā |
| Accusative | دُمْلُوجَيْنِ dumlūjayni |
الدُّمْلُوجَيْنِ ad-dumlūjayni |
دُمْلُوجَيْ dumlūjay |
| Genitive | دُمْلُوجَيْنِ dumlūjayni |
الدُّمْلُوجَيْنِ ad-dumlūjayni |
دُمْلُوجَيْ dumlūjay |
| Plural | basic broken plural diptote | ||
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | دَمَالِيج damālīj |
الدَّمَالِيج ad-damālīj |
دَمَالِيج damālīj |
| Nominative | دَمَالِيجُ damālīju |
الدَّمَالِيجُ ad-damālīju |
دَمَالِيجُ damālīju |
| Accusative | دَمَالِيجَ damālīja |
الدَّمَالِيجَ ad-damālīja |
دَمَالِيجَ damālīja |
| Genitive | دَمَالِيجَ damālīja |
الدَّمَالِيجِ ad-damālīji |
دَمَالِيجِ damālīji |