[Loch-Ruadh] Speaking Forsoothly - Daily Lesson 22

[Chris Harper]

And I thought metric stuff was confusing.  But it is interesting.:)

Bicé

At 04:52 PM 12/1/2006 -0600, you 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