“Däbrä Dammo”, not “Däbrä Damo”

The historical place-name of one of most famous monasteries of Ethiopia in northern Tǝgray has a split tradition of transcription, since it is widely known under the two non-matching forms of “Däbrä Damo” and “Däbrä Dammo”, only distinguished by the opposition of gemination vs nongemination. Researches in the past and recent interviews on the spot provide clear evidence, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the form used by the local Tǝgrǝñña speakers was and still is the geminated “Däbrä Dammo”. In a region that is the geographical heart of the Tǝgrǝññaspeakers area, this form is the authentic form of the place name. Yet, the question arises why a competing Amharic-speaking ecclesiastic tradition, largely accepted, not always wittingly though, also in scholarly contexts, supports the non-geminated form. A different consonantal length contrasts perception might have played a role in this.