Misplaced Pages

Digit (unit): Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 12:39, 26 August 2011 editJustlettersandnumbers (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Administrators121,147 edits make a start, remove unref← Previous edit Revision as of 12:47, 26 August 2011 edit undoHelpful Pixie Bot (talk | contribs)Bots571,497 editsm Dated {{Citation needed}} x 2. (Build p613)Next edit →
Line 1: Line 1:
{{for|the unit of ]|Ban (information)}} {{for|the unit of ]|Ban (information)}}


{{Hand Measurements}}
{{Hand_Measurements}}


{{Other uses|digit}} {{Other uses|digit}}
Line 17: Line 17:
!|Name!! |Egyptian name!!align="center"|Equivalent Egyptian values!! |Metric equivalent !|Name!! |Egyptian name!!align="center"|Equivalent Egyptian values!! |Metric equivalent
|- |-
|Royal cubit || <small><hiero>M23-t:n-D42</hiero> </small> ''meh niswt'' || align="center" | 7 palms or 28 digits || align="right" | 525&nbsp;mm&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; |Royal cubit || <small><hiero>M23-t:n-D42</hiero> </small> ''meh niswt'' || align="center" | 7 palms or 28 digits || align="right" | 525&nbsp;mm&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
|- |-
|Fist || <!---<small><hiero>?</hiero> </small> '' ??? ''---> ||align="center" | 6 digits ||align="right" | 108&nbsp;mm&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; |Fist || <!---<small><hiero>?</hiero> </small> '' ??? ''---> ||align="center" | 6 digits ||align="right" | 108&nbsp;mm&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Line 33: Line 33:
== British measurements == == British measurements ==


A '''digit''' (] ''digitus'', "finger"), when used as a unit of length, is usually a sixteenth of a ] or 3/4" (] for the international ]).{{cn}} The width of an adult human male finger tip is indeed about 2 centimetres. In English this unit has mostly fallen out of use, as do others based on the human arm: ] (7/6 digit), ] (4 digits), ] (16/3 digits), ] (8 digits), ] (12 digits), ] (24 digits) and ] (60 digits). A '''digit''' (] ''digitus'', "finger"), when used as a unit of length, is usually a sixteenth of a ] or 3/4" (] for the international ]).{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} The width of an adult human male finger tip is indeed about 2 centimetres. In English this unit has mostly fallen out of use, as do others based on the human arm: ] (7/6 digit), ] (4 digits), ] (16/3 digits), ] (8 digits), ] (12 digits), ] (24 digits) and ] (60 digits).


It is in general equal to the foot-], although the term nail can also be used as 1/16 of yard and other units.{{cn}} It is in general equal to the foot-], although the term nail can also be used as 1/16 of yard and other units.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}


==See also== ==See also==
Line 45: Line 45:




<ref name=brit>{{cite book|last=Hosch|first=William L. (ed.)|title=The Britannica Guide to Numbers and Measurement|year=2010|publisher=Britannica Educational Publications|location=New York, NY|isbn=978-1615301089|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=cuN7rH6RzikC|edition=1st|page=203}}</ref> <ref name=brit>{{cite book|last=Hosch|first=William L. (ed.)|title=The Britannica Guide to Numbers and Measurement|year=2010|publisher=Britannica Educational Publications|location=New York, NY|isbn=978-1615301089|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=cuN7rH6RzikC|edition=1st|page=203}}</ref>


<ref name=clagett>{{cite book|last=Clagett|first=Marshall|title=Ancient Egyptian Science, A Source Book. Volume 3: Ancient Egyptian Mathematics|year= 1999|publisher= American Philosophical Society|location= Philadelphia|isbn= 9780871692320|url= http://books.google.com/books?id=8c10QYoGa4UC}}</ref> <ref name=clagett>{{cite book|last=Clagett|first=Marshall|title=Ancient Egyptian Science, A Source Book. Volume 3: Ancient Egyptian Mathematics|year= 1999|publisher= American Philosophical Society|location= Philadelphia|isbn= 9780871692320|url= http://books.google.com/books?id=8c10QYoGa4UC}}</ref>
Line 51: Line 51:
<ref name=lepsius>{{cite book|last=Lepsius|first=Richard|title=Die altaegyptische Elle und ihre Eintheilung|year=1865|publisher=Dümmler|location=Berlin|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=PRQGAAAAQAAJ|language=German}}</ref> <ref name=lepsius>{{cite book|last=Lepsius|first=Richard|title=Die altaegyptische Elle und ihre Eintheilung|year=1865|publisher=Dümmler|location=Berlin|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=PRQGAAAAQAAJ|language=German}}</ref>


<ref name=selin>{{cite book|last=Selin|first=Helaine (ed.)|title=Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine in non-Western Cultures|year=1997|publisher=Kluwer|location=Dordrecht|isbn=9780792340669|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=raKRY3KQspsC}}</ref> <ref name=selin>{{cite book|last=Selin|first=Helaine (ed.)|title=Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine in non-Western Cultures|year=1997|publisher=Kluwer|location=Dordrecht|isbn=9780792340669|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=raKRY3KQspsC}}</ref>




Revision as of 12:47, 26 August 2011

For the unit of information entropy, see Ban (information).

Template:Hand Measurements

For other uses, see digit.

The digit or finger is an obsolete non-SI unit of measurement of length, originally based on the breadth of a human finger. It was a fundamental unit of length in the Ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Hebrew, Ancient Greek, and Roman systems of measurement. In astronomy a digit is the one twelfth of the diameter of the sun or the moon.

History

Ancient Egypt

Detail of the cubit rod in the Museo Egizio of Turin, showing digit, palm, hand and fist lengths

The digit, also called a finger or fingerbreadth, is an anthropic unit, originally based on the breadth of a human finger. It was the basic unit of subdivision of the cubit.

On surviving Ancient Egyptian cubit-rods, the royal cubit is divided into seven palms of four digits or fingers each. Five digits are equal to a hand, with thumb; and six to a closed fist. The royal cubit measured approximately 525 mm, so the length of the ancient Egyptian digit was about 19 mm.

Ancient Egyptian units of length
Name Egyptian name Equivalent Egyptian values Metric equivalent
Royal cubit
M23t
n		 D42
 meh niswt		 7 palms or 28 digits 525 mm     
Fist 6 digits 108 mm     
Hand 5 digits 94 mm     
Palm
D48
 shesep		 4 digits 75 mm     
Digit
D50
 djeba		 1/4 palm 19 mm     



British measurements

A digit (lat. digitus, "finger"), when used as a unit of length, is usually a sixteenth of a foot or 3/4" (1.905 cm for the international inch). The width of an adult human male finger tip is indeed about 2 centimetres. In English this unit has mostly fallen out of use, as do others based on the human arm: finger (7/6 digit), palm (4 digits), hand (16/3 digits), shaftment (8 digits), span (12 digits), cubit (24 digits) and ell (60 digits).

It is in general equal to the foot-nail, although the term nail can also be used as 1/16 of yard and other units.

See also

References

  1. Hosch, William L. (ed.) (2010). The Britannica Guide to Numbers and Measurement (1st ed.). New York, NY: Britannica Educational Publications. p. 203. ISBN 978-1615301089. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  2. Selin, Helaine (ed.) (1997). Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine in non-Western Cultures. Dordrecht: Kluwer. ISBN 9780792340669. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ Clagett, Marshall (1999). Ancient Egyptian Science, A Source Book. Volume 3: Ancient Egyptian Mathematics. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society. ISBN 9780871692320.
  4. Lepsius, Richard (1865). Die altaegyptische Elle und ihre Eintheilung (in German). Berlin: Dümmler.


Stub icon

This standards- or measurement-related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: