|
Length/Distance | Convert from barleycorn to league [UK] |
Related Categories:
Common Length Conversions Metric Length Conversions Unit Definition (barleycorn) The Barleycorn is an old English unit of length. The custom of using seeds as units of length or weight is very common in farming societies. In Anglo-Saxon England, where barley was a basic crop, barleycorns played this traditional role. The weight of a barleycorn, later renamed the grain, is the original basis of all English weight systems including the older troy system and the later avoirdupois system. As a length unit, 3 barleycorns were equal to the Saxon ynce (inch). The English foot was actually defined as 12 of these ynces, that is, as 36 barleycorns. Unit Definition (league [UK]) The league became a common unit of measurement throughout western Europe, although its length varied greatly from region to region. It was originally intended to represent the distance a person could walk in an hour. In many cases it was equal to 3 miles, (note that the definition of a mile also varied from region to region). At sea, the league was often equal to 3 nautical miles, which is 1/20 degree or 5556 meters (metres). In the USA and Great Britain, the league is defined to be 3 statute miles on land, or 3 nautical miles at sea.
|
|