Editing Troms (section)

==General information==
===Name===
Until 1919, the county was formerly known as ''[[Tromsø amt]]''. On 1 July 2006, the [[Northern Sami language|Northern Sami]] name for the county, ''Romsa'', was granted official status along with Troms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stedsnavn.org|title=Offisielt samisk namn for Troms|publisher=Statens navnekonsulenter|access-date=9 January 2006|language=no|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626225723/http://www.stedsnavn.org/|archive-date=26 June 2007}}</ref>

The county (and the city of [[Tromsø]]) is named after the island [[Tromsøya]] on which it is located ([[Old Norse]] ''Trums''). Several theories exist as to the [[etymology]] of Troms. One theory holds "Troms-" to derive from the old (uncompounded) name of the island ([[Old Norse]]: ''Trums''). Several islands and rivers in Norway have the name ''Tromsa'', and the names of these are probably derived from the word ''straumr'' which means "(strong) stream". (The original form must then have been ''Strums'', for the missing ''s'' see [[Indo-European s-mobile]].) Another theory holds that Tromsøya was originally called ''Lille Tromsøya'' (Little Tromsøya), because of its proximity to the much bigger island today called [[Kvaløya (Tromsø)|Kvaløya]], that according to this theory was earlier called "Store Tromsøya" due to a characteristic mountain known as ''Tromma'' (the Drum). The mountain's name in [[Sami languages|Sámi]], ''Rumbbučohkka'', is identical in meaning, and it is said to have been a sacred mountain for the Sámi in pre-Christian times.

The Sámi name of the island, ''Romsa'', is assumed to be a loan from Norse – but according to the phonetical rules of the Sami language the frontal ''t'' has disappeared from the name. {{Citation needed|date=May 2008}} However, an alternative form – ''Tromsa'' – is in informal use. There is a theory that holds the Norwegian name of Tromsø derives from the Sámi name, though this theory lacks an explanation for the meaning of ''Romsa''. A common misunderstanding is that Tromsø's Sámi name is ''Romssa'' with a double "s". This, however, is the accusative and [[genitive form]] of the noun used when, for example, writing "Tromsø Municipality" (Roms''s''a Suohkan).

===Coat of arms===
The [[coat of arms]] of Troms was made by [[Hallvard Trætteberg]] (1898–1987) and adopted by royal resolution on 15 January 1960. The official [[blazon]] in Norwegian ("På rød bunn en gull griff") translates to "On a field [[Gules]] a [[griffin]] <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Attitude (heraldry)#Rampant|segreant]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> [[Or (heraldry)|Or]]."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkivverket.no/webfelles/kommunevaapen/vaapen/troms.html|title=Troms|publisher=Arkivverket.no|language=no|access-date=2010-06-24|archive-date=2012-03-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322022251/http://www.arkivverket.no/webfelles/kommunevaapen/vaapen/troms.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Trætteberg chose to have the griffin as [[Charge (heraldry)|charge]] because that animal was the symbol of the mighty [[Norse clans|clan]] of [[Bjarne Erlingsson]] on [[Bjarkøy]] in the 13th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkivverket.no/webfelles/kommunevaapen/h_linjer.html|title=Hallvard Trætteberg: fylkesvåpen|publisher=Arkivverket.no|language=no|access-date=2010-06-24|archive-date=2016-04-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411033807/http://arkivverket.no/webfelles/kommunevaapen/h_linjer.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>