Ell

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This derivation of the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci, depicts nine historical units of measurement: the Yard, the Span, the Cubit, the Flemish Ell, the English Ell, the French Ell, the Fathom, the Hand, and the Foot. The Vitruvian man was drawn to scale, so the units depicted are displayed with their proper historical ratios.

One ell, when used as an alias for the cubit.

An ell (from Proto-Indo-European *el- "elbow, forearm"), is a unit of measurement, approximating the length of a man's arm.

Several national forms existed, with different lengths, including the Scottish ell (approximately 37 inches or 94 centimetres), the Flemish ell (approx. 27 in or 69 cm) and the Polish ell (approx. 31 in or 79 cm).

In England, the ell was usually 45 inches (1.143 m exactly for the international inch). It was mainly used in the tailoring business but is now obsolete. It was derived from the length of the arm from the shoulder to the wrist, although the exact length was never defined in English law.

Sometimes ell is used as an alias for the cubit.

An ell-wand or ellwand was a rod of length one ell used for official measurement. Edward I of England required that every town have one. In Scotland, the Belt of Orion was called "the King's Ellwand."^[1][2]

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