Temasek

Temasek ('Sea Town' in Old Javanese, spelt Tumasik) was the name of an early city on the site of modern Singapore. From the 14th century, the island has also been known as Singapura, which is derived from Sanskrit and means "Lion City". Legend has it that the name was given by Sang Nila Utama when he visited the island in 1299 and saw an unknown creature, which he mistook as a lion.