Re: Foot equals 12 inches Posted by Gordon chapman
on November 26, 1999
In Reply to: Re: Foot equals 12 inches
posted by Bruce Kahl on November 24, 1999
: : Can anyone tell me where or how one foot equaled 12 inches
came from ?
: Our modern measurement of 12 inches equaling 1 foot actually
comes from a king's arm. Or, to be more precise, one-third of a
king's arm. According to Isaac Asimov's Book of Facts, the arm under
discussion is that of King Henry I (1068-1135) of England, who had
a thirty-six inch long arm and decreed that the standard "foot"
should be one-third of that length.
Interesting, but the whole 12 inches thing dates back much further
than that, and the number 12 crops up in many other places - months
in the year, 12 hours in the standard clock, etc..
I can't remember much about it (it was skewl and a long time ago)
but it had something to do with Egypt or Babylonia or Phoenicia
or something out there, sorry I can't be much other use.
G.
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