Editing Le Havre (section)

==Toponym==
The name of the town was attested in 1489, even before it was founded by [[François I]] in the form ''le Hable de Grace'' then ''Ville de Grace'' in 1516, two years before its official founding.<ref name="Beaurepaire-92-93">François de Beaurepaire (pref. Marianne Mulon), ''The names of Communes and former parishes of Seine-Maritime'', Paris, A. et J. Picard, 1979, 180 p., {{ISBN|2-7084-0040-1}}, {{OCLC|6403150}}, p. 92-93 {{in lang|fr}}</ref> The learned and transient name of ''Franciscopolis'' in tribute to the same king, is encountered in some documents then that of ''Havre Marat'', referring to [[Jean-Paul Marat]] during the [[French Revolution]] but was not imposed. However it explains why the complementary determinant ''-de-Grace'' was not restored.<ref name="Beaurepaire-92-93"/> This qualifier undoubtedly referred to the Chapel of Notre Dame located at the site of the [[Le Havre Cathedral|cathedral of the same name]]. The chapel faced the Chapel Notre Dame de Grace of [[Honfleur]] across the estuary.<ref name="Beaurepaire-92-93"/> The common noun ''havre'' meaning "port" was out of use at the end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th centuries but is still preserved in the phrase ''[[wikt:havre de paix|havre de paix]]'' meaning "safe haven". It is generally considered a loan from [[Middle Dutch]] from the 12th century.<ref>[http://www.cnrtl.fr/lexicographie/Havre Lexicographic definitions] and [http://www.cnrtl.fr/etymologie/Havre etymologies] of ''Havre'', TLFi, on the CNRTL website {{in lang|fr}}</ref> A Germanic origin can explain the [[aspirated h|"aspiration" of the initial ''h'']]. [[Havre de Grace, Maryland]], in the United States retains the "de Grace" from colonial times.

New research however focuses on the fact that the term was attested very early (12th century) and in [[Norman language|Norman texts]] in the forms ''Hable'', ''hafne'', ''havene'', ''havne'', and ''haule'' makes a Dutch origin unlikely. By contrast, a [[North Germanic languages|Scandinavian]] etymology is relevant given the old Scandinavian ''höfn'' (genitive ''hafnar'') or ''hafn'' meaning "natural harbour" or "haven" and the phonetic evolution of the term ''[[Stem (ship)|étrave]]'' which is assuredly of Scandinavian origin is also attested in similar forms such as ''estable'' and probably dates back to the ancient Scandinavian ''stafn''.<ref>Elisabeth Ridel, ''The Vikings and the words: The contribution of old Scandinavian to the French language'', éditions errance, Paris, 2009, p. 203, 226, 227, 228. {{in lang|fr}}</ref>