Editing Lille (section)

===Origins===
Archeological digs seem to show the area as inhabited by as early as 2000 BC,{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}} most notably in the modern ''quartiers'' of [[Fives (Lille)|Fives]], [[Wazemmes]] and Vieux Lille. The original inhabitants of the region were the [[Gauls]], such as the [[Menapii|Menapians]], the [[Morini|Morins]], the [[Atrebates]] and the [[Nervii|Nervians]], who were followed by [[Germanic peoples]]: the [[Saxons]], the [[Frisians]] and the [[Franks]].

The legend of "[[Lydéric and Phinaert]]" puts the foundation of the city of Lille at 640. In the 8th century, the language of [[Old Dutch|Old Low Franconian]] was spoken, as attested by [[toponymy|toponymic]] research.{{dubious|date=October 2020}}{{citation_needed|date=October 2020}} Lille's Dutch name is ''Rijsel'', which comes from ''ter ijsel'' (at the island) from [[Middle Dutch]] ''ijssel'' ("small island, islet"), [[calque]] of [[Old French]] l'Isle ("the Island"), itself from [[Latin]] ''Īnsula'', from ''īnsula'' ("island").

From 830 to around 910, the [[Vikings]] invaded Flanders. After the destruction caused by [[Normans]]' and the [[Magyars]]' invasion, the eastern part of the region was ruled by various local princes.

The first mention of the town dates from 1066: ''apud Insulam'' (Latin for "at the island"). It was then controlled by the [[County of Flanders]], as were the regional cities (the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] cities [[Boulogne-sur-Mer|Boulogne]], [[Arras]], [[Cambrai]] as well as the [[Carolingian Empire|Carolingian]] cities [[Valenciennes]], [[Saint-Omer]], [[Ghent]] and [[Bruges]]). The County of Flanders thus extended to the left bank of the [[Scheldt]], one of the richest and most prosperous regions of Europe.