It's very unlikely that a Romano-British name spelt beginning with <v> would turn up in a modern place-name with <v>. RB <v> represented the sound /w/, which should persist through borrowing into English to the present day. A modern name in Somerset beginning with <v>, and /v/ in pronunciation, is most often from a name in OE <f>, notably Vellow, Vobster and Voxmoor (the last one being completely transparent 'fox moor', I suppose).
Richard
-----Original Message-----
From: The English Place-Name List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tom Ikins
Sent: 26 September 2010 22:11
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [EPNL] Verneycaps
---- David Horsey <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> The roman fort at Nunnington is close by.
Yes, that's why I'm asking. I expect that the fort was named Vernilis, part of a group of three Roman forts - Durocoronouio, Pilais & Vernilis at Tiverton, Cudmore Farm & Wiveliscombe (Nunnington).
--
Tom Ikins
The Roman Map of Britain
http://www.romanmap.com
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