Famenne
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Famenne (French: [famɛn]; Walloon: Fåmene [fɑːmɛn]) is a natural region in Wallonia (southern Belgium). Together with The Fagne or la Fagne, west of the river Meuse, it is part of the Fagne-Famenne natural region. The two regions are often grouped together because they are quite similar both geographically and naturally.
The hypothesis that the name of the Famenne region may derive from Paemani, an ancient Germanic tribe, following the influence of the Germanic sound shift from p- to f-,[1] is now considered doubtful by most scholars.[2]
In the first medieval mentions, the Famenne is spelled in Latin in forms with an "l", for example Falmenna.[3]
History
The oldest known definitions of the medieval version of the Condroz pagus also included the Famenne. Compared to the late medieval archdeaconries of Condroz and Fammene, the early medieval pagi did not include the deaneries of St Remacle, Hanret, or Chimay. Chimay had been part of the Lomme pagus, like most of the area between the Sambre and Meuse.[3]
