The Roman Map of Britain Uxelis Okehampton, Devon
Uxelis (R&C
13) next
Ouxella
Uxella
vars. Ouzela
Uzela, Ouezela Vezela (Ptolemy
II 3 13) a polis of the Dumnonii.
Most take Uxelis and Uxela to be derived from the adjective *uxo- 'high' which yielded the derivative W uchel 'high'. I prefer the adjective 'swift' found in OW diauc 'lazy (stagnant)'*, and in the Welsh river names Ogwr and Ogwen. The first element of the Devonshire river Okement is the same, as Ekwall later concluded.. There are difficulties in explaining Okement unless it is considered a back-formation from the original name of Okehamptom. Ocemund 851 is at the junction of the East and West Okement and the second element looks suspiciously like OE ea(ge)mot 'river meeting'. Mot developed to mont in Eamont, Beckermonds, and Trostermount.
I propose that Uxelis is an auc-elis 'swift stream', and that the name be identified with the early Roman fort at Okehampton (SX5996) on Margary 492a (exeter-launceston). Uxelis (R&C 13) is followed by Verteuia (R&C 14), the next fort east on M492a.
CHICHACOTT LANE; OKEHAMPTON Roman fort SX5996
EHNMR-636869
CHICHACOTT LANE; OKEHAMPTON Roman fort SX5996
EHNMR-636870
*see Pokorny ak-, ok- 'sharp'