Editing Ell (section)

{{Short description|Unit of length}}
{{About|the unit of length|the letter|L|other uses|Ell (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|Aune|the surname|Aune (surname)}}
{{more footnotes|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox unit
| bgcolor      = 
| name         = Ell
| image        = Ell.jpg
| caption      = The ell was originally a [[cubit]], later replaced by the cloth-ell or "double ell".
| standard     = 
| quantity     = Length
| symbol2      = 
| namedafter   = 
| extralabel   = 
| extradata    =
| units_imp1   = Inch
| inunits_imp1 = 45
| units_imp2   = Metre 
| inunits_imp2 = 1.143

}}
[[File:Regensburg - Altes Rathaus - Masse - 2016.jpg|thumb|upright|Historic standard units of the city of [[Regensburg]]: from left to right, a [[fathom]] (''Klafter''), [[foot (unit)|foot]] (''Schuch'') and ell (''Öln'')]]
[[File:Bad Langensalza, Preußische Elle und Preußisches Fuß am Rathaus.jpg|thumb|right|Prussian ell]]

An '''ell''' (from [[Proto-Germanic language|Proto-Germanic]] *''alinō'', cognate with [[Latin]] ''[[ulna]]'')<ref>[http://www.oed.com/viewdictionaryentry/Entry/60511 "ell, n.1"]. OED Online. December 2011. Oxford University Press. (accessed February 20, 2012).</ref> is a northwestern European [[Units of measurement|unit of measurement]], originally understood as a [[cubit]] (the combined length of the forearm and extended hand). The word literally means "arm", and survives in the modern English word "elbow" (arm-bend). Later usage through the 19th century refers to several longer units,<ref name="The Diagonal">{{cite book|title=The Diagonal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BudNAAAAYAAJ&q=%22the+ell+was+originally+the+same+measure+as+the+cubit%22&pg=PA98|access-date=6 February 2012|year=1920|publisher=Yale University Press|page=98}}</ref><ref name="LewisKingery1918">{{cite book|author1=Charlton Thomas Lewis|author2=Hugh Macmaster Kingery|title=An elementary Latin dictionary|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_2ncKAAAAIAAJ|quote=forearm, ell, cubit.|access-date=6 February 2012|year=1918|publisher=American book company|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_2ncKAAAAIAAJ/page/n204 198]}}</ref> some of which are thought to derive from a "double ell".<ref name="Boston.)1857">{{cite book|author=James Robinson (of Boston.)|title=The American elementary arithmetic|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=klYMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA94|access-date=6 February 2012|year=1857|publisher=J.P. Jewett & co.|page=94}}</ref><ref name="O'Gorman1853">{{cite book|author=Daniel O'Gorman|title=Intuitive calculations; the readiest and most concise methods|url=https://archive.org/details/intuitivecalcul00ogogoog|access-date=6 February 2012|year=1853|page=[https://archive.org/details/intuitivecalcul00ogogoog/page/n54 48]}}</ref>

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".<ref>[http://www.infoplease.com/dictionary/brewers/ell-wand.html infoplease.com], ''OED'' ''s.'' Ell-wand.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://content-www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/89685.html |title=The measurements of cricket |author=AR Littlewood |publisher=ESPN cricinfo }}</ref> An iron ellwand is preserved in the entrance to [[Stånga Church]] on the Swedish island of [[Gotland]], indicating the role that rural churches had in disseminating uniform measures.<ref name=stanga>{{cite book |last= Andrén|first= Anders|language=sv|title= Det Medeltida Gotland. En arkeologisk guidebok|trans-title=Medieval Gotland. An archaeological guidebook|year= 2017|edition=2nd |location=Lund |publisher=Historiska Media |page=206|isbn= 978-91-7545-476-4}}</ref>

Several national forms existed, with different lengths, including the [[#Scots|Scottish ell]] {{nowrap|(≈{{convert|37|in|cm|0|disp=or}})}}, the [[Flanders|Flemish]] ell [el] {{nowrap|1=(≈{{convert|27|in|cm|1|disp=or|abbr=on}})}}, the [[French language|French]] ell [aune] {{nowrap|1=(≈{{convert|54|in|cm|1|disp=or|abbr=on}})}},<ref name="Brayshaws">Brayshaw, Tom S., ed. ''Brayshaw's Mathematical Desk Companion''. Chesterfield, England: Thomas Brayshaw Ltd., Edition 16, 1955</ref> the [[Poland|Polish]] ell {{nowrap|(≈{{convert|31|in|cm|1|disp=or|abbr=on}})}}, the [[Denmark|Danish]] alen {{nowrap|(24 [[Danish units of measurement#Length|Danish]] inches or 2 Danish fod: 62.7708 cm)}}, the [[Sweden|Swedish]] aln {{nowrap|(2 Swedish fot 59.38&nbsp;cm)}} and the German ell [{{lang|de|Elle}}] of different lengths in Frankfurt (54.7&nbsp;cm), Cologne, Leipzig ([[Kingdom of Saxony|Saxony]]) or Hamburg.

Select customs were observed by English [[import]]ers of Dutch [[textiles]]; although all cloths were bought by the Flemish ell, [[linen]] was sold by the English ell, but [[tapestry]] was sold by the Flemish ell.<ref name="Brayshaws"/>

The Viking ell was the measure from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, about {{convert|18|in}}. The Viking or primitive ell was used in Iceland up to the 13th century. By the 13th century, a law set the "stika" as equal to two ells, which was the English ell of the time.<ref>{{Cite book |author=Nancy Marie Brown |year=2007 |title=The Far Traveller: Voyages of a Viking Woman |publisher=Harcourt |pages=236, 276 |oclc=85822467}}</ref>