Vertevia

Attested:  Vertevia at position 14 in the Ravenna Cosmography

Where:  Possibly an undiscovered Roman fort to watch over Dartmoor at or near Tavistock, Devon, around SX4874.

Name origin:  Ver- could have many meanings, with PIE *ver- ‘to turn, to bend’ possibly the best candidate here.  The -tevia part might then refer to the river Tavy; see under Tava for a possible origin of that name.  If the name is divided Vert-evia, it might begin with a word analogous to Dutch woerd ‘artificial mound’, as seen in Verteris, which might fit the Tavistock Pimple mound.

Notes:  See also about Mestevia probably on the other side of Dartmoor by the river Teign.  The implication is that many rivers flowing off high ground once had names like Tavy, but not all kept it.  It seems unlikely that a fort here could be active at the same time as its neighbours at Calstock 5 miles away and Okehampton 1 miles away.

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Last edited 3 March 2023     to main Menu