The River Thames

Ending the etymological confusion surrounding its name

Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash

In this article I propose a solution to the etymological confusion surrounding the meaning of the name “Thames”.

I was watching a YouTube video the other day and was startled to hear the narrator talking about the Thames River, pronouncing it (th-aim-z).

It is currently referred to as the River Thames rather than the Thames River. The Thames River is a river in Canada that flows through the town of London Ontario. It is pronounced (temz)in both England and Canada. That part of the River Thames that flows through the town of Oxford in England is referred to locally, as the River Isis.

There is no agreement about the etymology of the name “Thames”

There is an obvious explanation, which I am surprised nobody else has considered.

The name Teme is similar to many other river names in England, testament to the name’s ancient origin. Similar names include River Team, River Thames, River Thame, River Tame and River Tamar. Scholars now believe these names and the older names Temese and Tamesis derive from Brythonic Tamesa …