[Loch-Ruadh] Speaking Forsoothly - Daily Lesson 22

[Pádraig Ruad Ó Maolagáin]

The days just seem to be getting longer instead of shorter.  I confess,
'tis beyond my addled pate to fathom the reason.  However:

Daily Lesson 22

Number and Measures – 2

Length/Width

* Poppyseed - 1/4 of a barleycorn
* Barleycorn - Basic Anglo-Saxon unit, the length of a corn of barley,
about 1/3 inch
* Digit – 3/4 inch
* Finger - 7/8 inch
* Ynch, Inch - Anglo Saxon inch, 3 barleycorns
* Nail - 3 digits = 2 1/4 inches = 1/16 yard
* Palm - 3 inches
* Hand - 4 inches
* Shaftment - Width of the hand and outstretched thumb, 6 1/2 ynches
before 1066, 6 inches thereafter
* Span - Width of the outstretched hand, from the tip of the thumb to the
tip of the little finger, 3 palms = 9 inches
* Foot - Usually 13 ynches.  Shortened to 12 Roman inches after 1066.
* Cubit - Forearm, 18 inches
* Yard - Introduced after 1066, 3 feet = 36 inches.
* Ell - Elbow, 20 nails = 1¼ yard or 45 inches. (Mostly for measuring coth
and clothing )
* Fathom - From one fingertip to the other, 6 feet
* Rod - Saxon gyrd measuring stick, 20 "natural feet". Redefined as 16 ½
Roman feet after 1066, but was the same length.
* Chain - four linear rods. So called for the length of surveyor's chain
used to measure distances.
* Furlong - "One plough's furrow long" (Saxon furrow is furh), the
distance a plough team could be driven without rest. Standardized to 660
feet, 40 rods or ten chains.
* Mile - Originally the Roman mile of 5000 feet.  In 1592 it was extended
to 5280 feet to make it an even number of furlongs (8).
* League - Usually three miles.  Represented an hour's walk.

Shakespearian Word/Phrase of the Day:
	Barm – the head, or froth, on beer and ale.
	“Mind that there be not an overabundance of barm upon my mug.”
	(Note:  The barm off a brewing of beer or ale was often used to leaven
bread.)

Padraig
-- 
Nunc est bibendum.
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Politicians prefer unarmed peasants.