Languages, people, clothes, and trends all tend to change over time. Just as these things do, so does some types and terms of measurement. The following is a list of measurements that are no longer in use today.

Length 3 barley corns - 1 inch 2 1/2 inches = 1 nail 4 nails = 1 quarter 4 quarters = 1 yard 4 inches = 1 hand 3 inches = 1 palm 3 palms = 1 span 7 palms = 1 cubit 18 inches = 1 cubit 5 feet = 1 pace 5 1/2 yards = 1 pole 40 poles = 1 furlong 8 furlongs = 1 mile 3 miles = 1 league (that means that Jules Vern's sub traveled over 60,000 ft beneath the ocean's surface!!!)

Dry Measure 2 quarts = 1 bottle 2 bottles = 1 gallon 2 gallons = 1 peck 3 bushels = 1 sack 4 bushels = 1 coomb 9 bushels = 1 vat 2 coombs = 1 quarter 5 quarters = 1 wey 2 weys = 1 last

Liquid Measure   4 gills = 1 pint   1 hogshead = 63 gallons

return to home page

return to index