Editing Temse (section)

== Toponym ==
Temse is first mentioned under the name ''Temsica''<ref name="gysseling">Gysseling, M. (1960). [http://bouwstoffen.kantl.be/tw/query/?find=temse&field=lem Temse]. In ''Toponymisch Woordenboek van België, Nederland, Luxemburg, Noord-Frankrijk en West-Duitsland (vóór 1226)''.</ref> in a deed from 941 in which Count [[Arnulf I of Flanders]] returns a series of possessions to [[Saint Peter's Abbey, Ghent|St. Peter's Abbey]] in [[Ghent]] that his predecessors had taken.<ref>Arnoul I le Vieux (941). [https://www.diplomata-belgica.be/charter_details_fr.php?dibe_id=538 DiBe ID 538]. In ''Diplomata Belgica''.</ref> Furthermore, spellings such as ''Temseca'', ''Tempseca'' and ''Thamisia'' also appear in medieval deeds and other documents.<ref name="gysseling" /> In older Dutch texts the place name is written as ''Themsche'' or ''Temsche''; the last spelling was official until 1946.

As origin for the name 'Temse' a Gallo-Roman form *''Tamisiacum'' or *''Tamasiacum'' is usually reconstructed. Place names in ''-(i)acus'' or ''-(i)acum'' (with a Gallic suffix ''-acos'' or ''-acon'') are often derived from Latin or indigenous personal names and arose between the first and fourth centuries.<ref>Lognon, A. (1979). ''Les noms de lieu de la France'' (Vol. 1). Paris: Librairie Honoré Champion, p. 76-77.</ref> According to this analysis, Temse would have belonged to someone with the Gallic name *''Tamasios'' or *''Tamisios''. In this we can find the [[Proto-Indo-European]] root *''temH-'', which also appears in the Welsh word ''tywyll'', 'darkness' and in the Dutch ''deemster''. *''Tamasios'' or *''Tamisios'' would then mean something like 'the dark one' or 'the dark-haired one'.<ref name="pee">Gysseling, M. (1973). [https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/pee_003albu01_01/pee_003albu01_01_0030.php De naam Pée]. In ''Album Willem Pée. De jubilaris aangeboden bij zijn zeventigste verjaardag'' (pp. 203-206). Tongeren: George Michiels.</ref>

According to a competing analysis, *''Tamisiacum'' or *''Tamasiacum'' would not be derived from a person's name, but from the name of a watercourse.<ref>[https://www.temse.be/index.php/over-temse/plaatsnamen Plaatsnamen] (18 juli 2014). ''Gemeente Temse''.</ref> The Proto-Indo-European root *''temH-'' remains valid here, so it would be about a 'dark watercourse', an explanation that is also quoted for the ''[[Demer]]'' and for the ''[[Thames]]''. Whichever derivation, ''Temse'' did not go through [[Grimm's law]] (*''t'' > [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] *''þ'' > [[Dutch language|Dutch]] ''d'', such as in ''Demer'' from *''Tamara''). This may be due to the influence of the Romance languages, where this sound law does not apply.<ref name="pee" />

Like other places that were already known across the language border in the Middle Ages, Temse has a French name that has undergone its own sound development. In a deed from 1221 in which Viscount [[Zeger III of Ghent]] renounces a few tithes in favor of the Bishop of Tournai, Temse is mentioned as ''Thamisia'',<ref>Sigerus III (1221). [https://www.diplomata-belgica.be/charter_details_fr.php?dibe_id=16627 DiBe ID 16627]. In ''Diplomata Belgica''.</ref> a name that will become ''Tamise'' in contemporary French. Note that in the French variant of the name the suffix ''-(i)acum'' is missing, as is also the case with ''[[Geldenaken]]'' (from *''Geldoniacum'') and ''Jodoigne'' (from *''Geldonia'').<ref>Gysseling, M. (1978). [https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/_naa002197801_01/_naa002197801_01_0002.php#2 Inleiding tot de toponymie, vooral van Oost-Vlaanderen]. ''Naamkunde'', 10. 1-24.</ref>