[Loch-Ruadh] Speaking Forsoothly - Daily Lesson 22

[Jacklyn Crisp]

They had a big foot, till the Romans cut off an inch.

--- Pádraig Ruad Ó Maolagáin
<padraig_ruad at irishbard.org> wrote:

> 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.
> ******************
> ******************
> Politicians prefer unarmed peasants.
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Loch-Ruadh mailing list
> Loch-Ruadh at lists.ansteorra.org
>
http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/loch-ruadh-ansteorra.org
>