Length/Distance 

Convert from inch [international, U.S.] to ell [Scotland]

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Unit Definition (inch [international, U.S.])
The inch is a traditional measurement of distance equal to 1/12 of a foot, or exactly 2.54 centimeters. The Old English word "ynce" is derived from the Latin uncia, meaning a 1/12 part. It follows that "inch" and "ounce" actually have the same origin. The inch was originally defined in England in two ways: as the length of three barleycorns laid end to end, or as the width of a man's thumb at the base of the nail. The barleycorn definition is peculiarly English, but the thumb-width definition is generic. In many european languages the word for inch actually also means thumb: examples include the Dutch duim, Swedish tum, French pouce, and Spanish pulgada. In the history of English units the inch seems to come before the foot, as after the Norman conquest of 1066, the foot was defined as 12 inches, rather than the inch being defined as 1/12 foot.

Unit Definition (ell [Scotland])
See the English El (or Ell). This Scottish length is shorter than the English El. It may reflect an old practice of cloth merchants in giving an extra inch with each yard, to allow for any irregular cutting at the ends of the piece. However, the English cloth ell is definitely longer than the yard; it seems to be the distance from the shoulder to the fingers of the opposite hand. This reflects a practice of cloth merchants of holding the cloth at the shoulder with one hand and pulling the piece through with the opposite hand. This cloth ell was used with a similar length in France, where it was called the aune. The Dutch el and German elle are a little more than half the English ell; they may represent "arm's-length" units like the Italian braccio, the Russian sadzhen, and the Turkish pik


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