An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Dambock

by Friedrich Kluge

Dambock, Damhirsch, masculine, ‘buck’; in Modern High German often written Damm- in the attempt to find some cognate for this unintelligible word. Middle High German tâme, from Old High German tâmo, dâmo, masculine; the word is of Latin origin, dâma (French daim, masculine, daine, feminine). It is remarkable that in Anglo-Saxon the labial nasal is lost — Anglo-Saxon dâ, English doe; perhaps the latter is of genuine Teutonic origin. The initial d of the Modern High German word is due to the Latin original, or to Low German influence.