IMPERIAL UNITS

LENGTH
THOU
One thousandth of an inch. Called a mil in the United States. The plural of thou is thou. (One
thousand thou equal one inch.) The plural of mil is mils. (One thousand mils equal one inch.)
INCH
The word inch comes from the Latin word for onetwelfth (uncia). The Romans brought the concept
of the ! inch foot to "ngland when the# in$aded in the #ear %& and left it behind when the# were
e'pelled in the #ear %(). The inch is commonl# subdi$ided into hal$es* quarters* eighths*
si'teenths* and other powers of two+ but can also be di$ided into hundredths or thousandths (called
thou in the U, and mils in the US).
HAND
- hand is the width of a man.s hand measured across the palm and including the thumb. -
standard hand is % inches.
FOOT
- foot is the length of a man.s foot / a con$enient measuring tool for men with feet. - standard
foot is ! inches.
CUBIT
- cubit is the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger on a man.s arm. The name is
deri$ed from the Latin word for elbow (cubitum). The cubit is an ancient unit that has $aried
somewhat o$er time and place. The Roman cubit was 0.%0 inches long* the 1ree2 3.!( inches*
the Sumerian !(.%! inches* and the "g#ptian !(.4 to !(.3 inches. The "nglish cubit is 3 inches.
YARD
- #ard is the length from the ,ing.s nose to his outstretched hand. 5resumabl#* after the 2ing held
out his hand someone placed a stic2 in the gap and mar2ed it. This stic2 would then be the
standard stic2 of the 2ingdom. 6ard is an Old "nglish word for staff* rod* or stic2. - standard #ard is
& feet long.
PACE
The pace has its origins in Rome. The passus was measured from the heel of one foot to the heel
of the same foot when it ne't touched the ground. This is a con$enient unit for measuring wal2ing
distances (again* for men with feet). - standard pace is 7 feet long.
FATHOM
The fathom is a measure of length that was commonl# used b# na$igators. 8t was the length to
which a man could e'tend his arms while measuring ropes used to determine the depth of
na$igable waters. The word fathom has its roots in the Old "nglish word for embracing arms
(f9:m). - standard fathom is 4 feet long.
ROD
- rod is a measure of length equal to 4; feet or 7; #ards. 8t is also called a pole or a perch. (8.d
hate to meet the budgie that needed a si'teen and a half foot perch.)
CHAIN
Sur$e#ors commonl# used chains for measuring distances. The most famous of these was
de$eloped b# the "nglish mathematician "dmund 1unter (73<4!4). The lin2s of 1unter.s chain
were each 0)!=(( inches long. One hundred lin2s ga$e it a total length of 0)! inches* 44 feet* or
!! #ards. The distance between wic2ets on a cric2et pitch is !! #ards.
FURLONG
Literall#* the length of a furrow (the trench made in the ground b# a plow). - sensible length for
farmers that later e$ol$ed into the acre* which is discussed later in this section. - standard furrow
is !!( #ards long or > mile.
MILE
One mile was the distance of a thousand paces / in Latin* mille passus. - pace being 7 feet gi$es
a mile of roughl# 7((( feet. The mile acquired its current $alue of 7!3( feet (04( #ards) b# the
decree of the "nglish parliament during the reign of "li?abeth 8. Since this was a legal definition it
became 2nown as the statute mile / statute being another word for law.
LENGTH UNITS OF THE ENGLISH SYSTEM
thou @ (.((in
hand @ % in
foot AftB @ ! in
cubit @ 3 in
#ard A#dB @ & ft @ &4 in
pace @ 7 ft @ 4( in
fathom @ ! #d @ 4 ft @ 0! in
rod @ 7; #d @ 4; ft @ )3 in
chain @ % rods @ !! #d @ 44 ft @ 0)! in
furlong @ ( chains @ !!( #d @ 44( ft @ 0)!( in
statute mile AmiB @ 3 furlongs @ 04( #d @ 7!3( ft @ 4&*&4( in
nautical mile @ 37! m (e'actl#) @ 4(04.! ft (appro'imatel#)
league @ & miles @ 7!3( #d @ 7*3%( ft @ )(*(3( in