Span (unit)
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A span is the distance measured by a human hand, from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger. In ancient times, a span was considered to be half a cubit. Sometimes the distinction is made between the great span (thumb to little finger) and little span (index finger to little finger)[1][2]
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[edit] History
Ancient Greek texts show that the span was used as a fixed measure in ancient Greece since at least archaic period. The word spithame (Greek: "σπιθαμή"), "span",[3] is attested in the work of Herodotus[4] in the 5th century BC, however span was used in Greece long before, since the word trispithamos (Greek: "τρισπίθαμος"), "three spans long",[5] occurs as early as the 8th century BC in Hesiod.[6]
[edit] Size of the span
[edit] English usage
See also: English unit
[edit] Slavic usage
In Slavic languages, the analogue of the span is various words derived from Proto-Slavic *pędь (Polish, piędź; Russian, пядь, Slovenian, ped, etc.). In various Slavic languages it is the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger or index finger. For example, Slovenian velika ped = great span (23 cm), mala ped = little span (9.5 cm); Russian piad = 4 vershok = 17.8 cm. See also: Obsolete Russian weights and measures.
[edit] African usage
In Swahili, the equivalent of the great span (thumb to little finger) is the shibiri while the little span (thumb to forefinger) is the futuri.[8]
[edit] Hungarian usage
In Hungarian, the span, or arasz, is occasionally used as an informal measure and occurs in two varieties: measured between the tips of the extended thumb and index finger, it is kis arasz (the "small arasz"); between the tips of the thumb and little finger, it is nagy arasz (the "large arasz"). The term "arasz," used by itself without a modifier, is usually understood as referring to the "large arasz," i.e., to the "span."
[edit] Asian usage
In Hindi-Urdu and other languages of Northern India and Pakistan, the span is commonly used as an informal measure and called bālisht (Urdu: بالشت, Hindi: बालिश्त).[9]
In Nepal, where this method of measurement is still used in informal context, a span is called Bhitta.
In Tamil Language it is called "saaN"
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Edwin Pliny Seaver (1895). New Franklin arithmetic: Second book. Butler, Sheldon & co.. p. 384. http://books.google.com/books?id=HEMkwNTqmVAC&pg=PA384. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
- ^ Daniel O'Sullivan (1872). The principles of arithmetic. Thom. p. 69. http://books.google.com/books?id=N1YDAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA69. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
- ^ σπιθαμή, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library
- ^ Herodotus, The Histories, 2.106, on Perseus Digital Library
- ^ τρισπίθαμος, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library
- ^ Hesiod, Works and Days, 426, on Perseus Digital Library
- ^ Isaiah Steen (1846). A treatise on mental arithmetic, in theory and practice. p. 9. http://books.google.com/books?id=wDAEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA9. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
- ^ Arthur Cornwallis Madan (1903). Swahili-English dictionary. Clarendon press. p. 78. http://books.google.com/books?id=J7NFAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA78. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
- ^ Norman Lockyer, "Nature," Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan Journals Ltd., 1922.
[edit] References
- Lyle V. Jones. 1971. “The Nature of Measurement.” In: Robert L. Thorndike (ed.), Educational Measurement. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: American Council on Education, pp. 335-355.
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