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Markarado wrote:Thanks NTers, you're all the best!
So is it true that feet, inches, etc.. actually come from England?
In ancient times, the body ruled when it came to measuring. The length of a foot, the width of a finger, and the distance of a step were all accepted measurements.
Inch: At first an inch was the width of a man's thumb. In the 14th century, King Edward II of England ruled that 1 inch equalled 3 grains of barley placed end to end lengthwise.
Hand: A hand was approximately 5 inches or 5 digits (fingers) across. Today, a hand is 4 inches and is used to measure horses (from the ground to the horse's withers, or shoulder).
Span: A span was the length of the hand stretched out, about 9 inches.
Foot: In ancient times, the foot was 11 1/42 inches. Today it is 12 inches, the length of the average man's foot.
Yard: A yard was originally the length of a man's belt or girdle, as it was called. In the 12th century, King Henry I of England fixed the yard as the distance from his nose to the thumb of his out-stretched arm. Today it is 36 inches.
Cubit: In ancient Egypt, a cubit was the distance from the elbow to the fingertips. Today a cubit is about 18 inches.
Lick: A Lick was used by the Greeks to measure the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the index finger.
Pace: The ancient Roman soldiers marched in paces, which were the length of a double step, about 5 feet; 1,000 paces was a mile. Today, a pace is the length of one step, 2 1/2 to 3 feet.
10sun wrote:10sun wrote:Hey guys, what does a meter represent?
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Zanchief wrote:Harrison wrote:I'm not dead
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