DAM UM, Nongthymmai (Krem)
25.253900,91.726700
Description
One of the five known cave entrances (note 1) to Krem –>Phyllud is situated in a right-angle corner of the cliff face at the southern rim of Lum Lawbah, at a location somewhat halfway between the villages of Nongthymmai and Mawmluh, and about 180 m west of Krem –>Mawriah. ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi cave name "Krem Dam Um" (BAZELY, P J 1991: 19-21; ZIMBA, D T 1977 / 1991; 148) or "Krem Dam Um Nongthymmai" (Kharpran Daly, B D 1997.03.13 Mss: 25 caves located) translates as »Cave [on the] Wiped-Out / Utterly Destroyed Stream« (note 2) but "Krem Dum Um" (no instance of use recorded so far) would translate either as »Cave [on the] Dark Stream« (note 3) or as »Cave [of the] Fisherman« (note 4). CULTURAL HISTORY - speleological folklore: Krem Dam is said to be the lower cave entrance or, perhaps, the name of the lower cave entrance to the –>Mawmluh Cave (BAZELY, P J 1991: 19-21).
NOTE 1: ZIMBA, D T (1977 / 1991: 146) and Kharpran Daly, B D (1997.03.13 Mss "25 caves located" item no. 17) mention the cave name Krem Dam Um. NOTE 2: [ba] dam (Khasi, adjective) obliterated (SINGH, N 1906: 64), root of pyndam (verb, transitive) to abolish, annul, blot, cancel, deface, destroy, disannul, efface, erase, exterminate, obliterate, repeal, reverse, suppress, wipe [out] (SINGH, N 1920: 2, 19, 49, 58, 111, 119, 125, 145, 158, 169, 345, 433, 440, 510, 594); annul, deface, efface, erase, obliterate, scrape (BLAH, E 2007: 14, 88, 73, 94, 204, 264). NOTE 3: ba dum (Khasi, adj.), contracted: badum (SINGH, N 1920: 154, 323; BLAH, E 2007 passim), barbarian (BLAH, E 2007: 26), black (SINGH, N 1920: 46; BLAH, E 2007: 31), blind (BLAH, E 2007: 32), dark (OLDHAM, T 1854 / 1984 appendix C: lxvi; SINGH, N 1906: 74; SINGH, N 1920: 107; BLAH, E 2007: 71), dismal (SINGH, N 1920: 129), enigmatical (SINGH, N 1920: 154), ignorant (SINGH, N 1906: 74; SINGH, N 1920: 231), impenetrable (SINGH, N 1920: 235), inert (BLAH, E 2007: 148), indistinct (SINGH, N 1920: 249), murky (SINGH, N 1920: 331; BLAH, E 2007: 195), obscure (SINGH, N 1920: 345), »opague [sic!]« (SINGH, N 1920: 350), opaque (BLAH, E 2007: 206), sombre (SINGH, N 1920: 484), sombrous (SINGH, N 1920: 484), stygian (SINGH, N 1920: 502; BLAH, E 2007: 292), sullen (SINGH, N 1920: 507), tenebrous (SINGH, N 1920: 522; BLAH, E 2007: 303), wan (BLAH, E 2007: 329), wild (BLAH, E 2007: 333), as: badum bad kynjah [dark and lonely] sombre (BLAH, E 2007: 280); dum ne shai byrngut [dawn or dusk] twilight (SINGH, N 1920: 545). NOTE 4: "u dúm" (Khasi / Bengali loan word; noun), binomial imitative: u dúm u maswa (SINGH, N 1906: 74) fisherman (SINGH, N 1906: 74), fishmonger (SINGH, N 1906: 181).
Documents
Bibliography 27/03/2016History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1997.03.13: Brian D. Kharpran Daly had recorded the name of »Krem Dam Um Nongthymmai located near Krem Phyllut« (Kharpran Daly, B D 1997.03.13 Mss: 25 caves located). 1998.02.14: Guided by Kynsai Jones from Shillong, H. D. Gebauer recorded the GPS position of the entrance. Two days later, on 1998.02.16: Richard Frank, Uwe Krüger and Thilo Müller mapped 300 m of passage (leaving several leads untouched) and unexpectedly popped up in Krem –>Phyllud.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.2 | MAWRIAH, Lum Lawbah (Krem) | ||
| 0.2 | PHYLLUD, 2nd (Krem) | ||
| 0.2 | Surprise Entrance Cave (aa -) | ||
| 0.2 | LUM LAWBAH: Doline 6 (aa -) | ||
| 0.3 | LUM LAWBAH: Doline 5 (aa -) | ||
| 0.3 | PHYLLUD, 3rd (Smart 1994) (Krem) | ||
| 0.3 | LUM LAWBAH: Sink 1 (aa -) | ||
| 0.4 | PHYLLUD (Krem) | ||
| 0.4 | LUM LAWBAH: Doline (aa -) |