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It may be that all English-unit derived capacity measurements are derived from one original approximate measurement: the mouthful, consisting of about 1 ⁄ 2 ounce, called the ro in ancient Egypt (their smallest recognized unit of capacity). [4] [5] The mouthful was still a unit of liquid measure during Elizabethan times. [6]
The setat was the basic unit of land measure and may originally have varied in size across Egypt's nomes. [20] Later, it was equal to one square khet, where a khet measured 100 cubits. The setat could be divided into strips one khet long and ten cubit wide (a kha). [2] [6] [37] During the Old Kingdom:
The Israelite system of powder/liquid volume measurements corresponds exactly with the Babylonian system. Unlike the Egyptian system, which has units for multiples of 1, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 of the base unit, the Babylonian system is founded on multiples of 6 and 10, namely units of 1, 12, 24, 60, 72 (60 plus 12), 120, and 720. [ 1 ]
Attic measures of liquid capacity Unit Greek name Equal to Modern equivalent Description kochliarion κοχλιάριον: 4.5 mL (0.15 US fl oz; 0.16 imp fl oz) spoon chēmē χήμη: 2 kochliaria 9.1 mL (0.31 US fl oz; 0.32 imp fl oz) a measure [7] mystron μύστρον: 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 kochliaria 11.4 mL (0.39 US fl oz; 0.40 imp fl oz)
It was usually used to measure depth, tunnel driving and the size of mining fields; it was also used for contract work. In mining in the German-speaking countries, it was the primary unit of length. Ligne – a French unit of length, roughly equal to 2.25 mm (0.089 in), or 9 points; Line; Macedonian cubit; Pace; Palm; Parasang; Pes
This would have equated to 11.755 English inches (29.8 cm) or 13.06 English inches (33.1 cm). Like Wilkins, the names that he proposed for multiples and subunits of his base units of measure were the names of units of measure that were in use at the time. [10]
The palm was not a major unit in ancient Mesopotamia but appeared in ancient Israel as the tefah, [7] tepah, [8] or topah [8] (Hebrew: טפח, lit. "a spread"). [9] Scholars were long uncertain as to whether this was reckoned using the Egyptian or Babylonian cubit, [7] but now believe it to have approximated the Egyptian "Greek cubit", giving a value for the palm of about 74 mm or 2.9 in. [8]
The minim (abbreviated min, ♏︎ or ♍︎) is a unit of volume in both the imperial and U.S. customary systems of measurement. Specifically, in the imperial system, it is 1 ⁄ 60 of an imperial fluid drachm [1] [2] or 1 ⁄ 480 of an imperial fluid ounce; in the U.S. customary system, it is 1 ⁄ 60 of a US customary fluid dram or 1 ⁄ 480 of a US customary fluid ounce.