The units may have had a common origin but over time diverged into different 
units of the same name.  Thus they are not the same.  The metric units are the 
only units that have not diverged in 200 years of history.

Just curious, but do know what the value of the duim was before it was replaced 
by metric units?

Jerry  




________________________________
From: Martin Vlietstra <vliets...@btinternet.com>
To: Jeremiah MacGregor <jeremiahmacgre...@rocketmail.com>; U.S. Metric 
Association <usma@colostate.edu>
Sent: Monday, April 6, 2009 4:22:21 PM
Subject: RE: [USMA:44374] RE: Reasoable Language (was Metrication US)


Jerry,
 
If one traces the origin of the word “inch”, one goes back to the Roman measure 
“unica” which was one twelfth of a “pes” (foot).  Over the years there have 
been various ways of defining the “inch”.  One of the ways (but certainly not 
the first) was “three barleycorns”.  Another way was to state that it is 
25.4 mm exactly.  Another way was to specify it as being 1/36 part of an iron 
rod that was kept in the custody of Parliament. Other countries had other ways 
of defining the unit wich was approximately the same in all countries. All the 
ways were appropriate for the era.
 

________________________________

From:Jeremiah MacGregor [mailto: jeremiahmacgre...@rocketmail.com ] 
Sent: 06 April 2009 03:27
To: Martin Vlietstra; U.S. Metric Association
Subject: Re: [USMA:44374] RE: Reasoable Language (was Metrication US )
 
Martin,
 
I agree that the duim is a body part that some people used it to measure things 
with in the past like the foot.  I don't agree that it is the same as the 
inch.  The inch was defined as three barley corns round and dry.  Can you tell 
me the original official definition of the duim?  I would suspect that it was 
not related to barley corns.  Thus my point is, the two are not the same.  No 
disrespect was intended.  
 
I'm sure we can find a list of units that were used in various countries that 
have no equivalent to English units.
 
Jerry
 

________________________________

From:Martin Vlietstra <vliets...@btinternet.com>
To: jeremiahmacgre...@rocketmail.com ; U.S. Metric Association 
<usma@colostate.edu>
Sent: Sunday, April 5, 2009 3:53:03 PM
Subject: RE: [USMA:44374] RE: Reasoable Language (was Metrication US )
Jerry,
 
Two things:
 
1) Please do Han the courtesy of assuming that is command of Dutch is better 
than yours – the “.nl” at the end of his e-mail address suggests to me that 
Dutch is probably his mother tongue..  
 
2) I can vouch for the fact that the word “duim” means both “thumb” and “inch” 
in both Dutch and Afrikaans (I speak both languages).  In English, the word 
“foot” can either be part of the human anatomy or it can be a unit of measure.  
In Dutch and in Afrikaans, both the words “voet” and “duim” are units of 
measure and are also parts of the human anatomy. 

________________________________

From:owner-u...@colostate.edu [mailto:owner-u...@colostate.edu] On Behalf Of 
Jeremiah MacGregor
Sent: 05 April 2009 14:28
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:44374] RE: Reasoable Language (was Metrication US )
 
… snip
 
Doesn't the word "Duimstok" literally mean "thumb stick"?  A thumb and an inch 
are not really they same thing, even if they are close.  
 
… snip
 
Jerry  
 

________________________________

From:Han Maenen < han.mae...@orange.nl >
To: U.S. Metric Association <usma@colostate.edu>
Sent: Sunday, April 5, 2009 5:54:11 AM
Subject: [USMA:44369] RE: Reasoable Language (was Metrication US )
I agree with Bll Potts. Leave expressions like 'inch by inch' or 'not an inch' 
alone. Those opposed to metric would love it if we wanted to change such things.
In the Netherlands a folding measuring stick is called a 'duimstok', which is 
'inch stick' in English. I have a wooden duimstok or inch stick with 
centimetres only on it. I just avoid measuring instruments with dual units like 
the plague.
 
Just west of of Dublin is the suburb Inchicore, how lunatic it would be to 
change that to 2.54cmcore, or Sixmilebridge near Limerick  to '9.6 
km-Bridge'. Of course, the distance to Sixmilebridge is always given in km on 
road signs: 'Sixmilebridge 10 km'. There is a small place in Ireland called 
Inch.
 
And people in metric countries should never give an inch to Imperial and/or 
U.S. Customary in their own environment. That would be very beneficial to 
metrication.
 
Han
 
----- Original Message ----- 
From:Bill Potts 
To:U.S.. Metric Association 
Sent:Monday, 2009, March 30 22:30
Subject:[USMA:44234] RE: Reasonable Language (was Metrication US )
 
Pat and John:
 
For years, some of us on this list have tried to be reassuring to the 
metrication-averse and to also counter some of the stranger statements made by 
the more virulent opponents of metrication.
 
<snip>


      

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