tenne

Tenne is a term with several distinct uses in archaeology, heraldry, and onomastics. It is most widely recognized in the context of the La Tène culture, an Iron Age Celtic culture of Europe.

La Tène culture: Named after the site of La Tène near Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland, the culture flourished roughly from 450 BCE to 1 BCE, succeeding Hallstatt. It is known for its distinctive metalwork, art, and ornamental designs, including scrolls, spirals, and animal motifs. Finds across much of Western Europe illustrate a broad Celtic cultural phenomenon and a network of exchange. The site was studied in the 19th century, and the name La Tène became standard in archaeology to designate this phase of Celtic culture.

Heraldry: Tenne, or tenné in French heraldry, denotes a tawny or brownish-orange tincture. Used in blazons to describe a leather-like brown color, it is more common in French-language sources and is relatively rare in English heraldry, where other browns or tawny colors are described by different terms.

Other uses: The term appears in place names and in personal names. In geography, La Tène refers to the Swiss site and surrounding region that gave the culture its name. In onomastics, Tenne is attested as a surname in several European countries.

Notes: The accent forms and cross-linguistic usage reflect the term’s historical and regional roots, with La Tène being the most prominent sense in modern scholarship.