20kWEB: Origin of the word Damp. Etymology of the word Damp. Etymology Dictionary.

DAMP, moisture, vapour. (E.) In Shak. Lucrece, 778. The verb appears as M. E. dampen, to choke, suffocate, Allit. Poems, ed. Morris, ii. 989. Though not found (perhaps) earlier, it can hardly be other than an E. word. [It can hardly be Scandinavian, the Icel. dampr being a mod. word; see Cleasby and Vigfusson.] + Du. damp, vapour, steam, smoke; whence dampen, to steam. + Dan. damp, vapour; whence dampe, to reek. + Swed. damb, dust; damma, to raise a dust, also, to dust. + G. dampf, vapour. β. Curtius (i. 281) has no hesitation in connecting G. dampf, vapour, with Gk. τῦφος, smoke, mist, cloud, vapour, and with Skt. dhúpa, incense, dhúp, to burn incense. The Gk. base τυφ (for θυφ) and Skt. dhúp are extensions of the ✔DHU, to rush, excite; cf. Gk. θύειν, to rush, rage, θύος, incense; see further under Dust, with which damp is thus connected. This explains the sense of Swed. damb above. Der. damp, verb; damp, adj; damp-ly, damp-ness; and cf. deaf, dumb, dumps. [†]

ADDENDA

The Swed. dialects actually have the strong verb dimba, to steam, emit vapour, pt. t. damb, pl. dumbu, supine dumbið; whence dampen, damp (Rietz). The mod. Swed. dimma, mist, haze, was formerly dimba, as in Widegren.

Etymology Dictionary

Origin of the word DAMP. Etymology of the word DAMP.