دمية

Where it comes from

* From د م ي (d m y) of دَم (dam, “blood”), deriving from the red ochre paint used to decorate idols, which is suggested by Safaitic 𐪕𐪃𐪚 (dmy /⁠damaya⁠/, “to draw”); alternatively, in reference to the blood sacrifices as a means to appease them. It has the appearance of آدم (ʔādam, “man”), Ugaritic 𐎀𐎄𐎎 (ảdm, “man”) etc.

* Phonologically dubiously and bare of factual basis, alleging that “it has not a spoor of derivation in Arabic”, Fraenkel claimed it being borrowed from Classical Syriac ܕܘܽܡܳܝܳܐ m (dummāyā), Aramaic דְּמָאִין m pl (dmāʾīn, “likenesses, simulacra”), דְּמוּ m (dmū, “likeness, simulacrum”), דְּמוּתָא f (dmūṯā, “likeness, simulacrum”), related to דְּמָא (dmaʾ, “to be similar”), דְּמֵי (dmey, “to be similar”), Classical Syriac ܕܡܳܐ (dmāʾ, “to be similar”), apparently Arabic دَنَا (danā, “to be near”).