Span (unit)

{{Short description|Hand-based measurement}} {{more citations needed|date=November 2011}} thumb|Some hand-based measurements, including the great span (4) A '''span''' is the distance measured by a human hand, from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger. In ancient times, a span was considered to be half a cubit. Sometimes the distinction is made between the '''great span''' or '''full span''' (thumb to little finger) and '''little span''' or '''short span''' (thumb to index finger, or index finger to little finger).<ref name="Madan1903"/><ref name="Seaver1895">{{cite book|author=Edwin Pliny Seaver|title=New Franklin arithmetic: Second book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HEMkwNTqmVAC&pg=PA384|access-date=27 January 2012|year=1895|publisher=Butler, Sheldon & co.|page=384}}</ref><ref name="O'Sullivan1872">{{cite book|author=Daniel O'Sullivan|title=The principles of arithmetic|url=https://archive.org/details/principlesarith00osugoog|access-date=27 January 2012|year=1872|publisher=Thom|page=[https://archive.org/details/principlesarith00osugoog/page/n81 69]}}</ref>

==History== Ancient Greek texts show that the span was used as a fixed measure in ancient Greece since at least archaic period. The word ''spithame'' (Greek: "σπιθαμή"), "span",<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dspiqamh%2F σπιθαμή], Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', on Perseus Digital Library</ref> is attested in the work of Herodotus<ref>Herodotus, ''The Histories'', 2.106, on [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:abo:tlg,0016,001:2:106&lang=original Perseus Digital Library]</ref> in the 5th century BC; however, the span was used in Greece long before that, since the word ''trispithamos'' (Greek: "τρισπίθαμος"), "three spans long",<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dtrispi%2Fqamos τρισπίθαμος], Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', on Perseus Digital Library</ref> occurs as early as the 8th century BC in Hesiod.<ref> Hesiod, ''Works and Days'', 426, on [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:abo:tlg,0020,002:426&lang=original Perseus Digital Library]</ref>

==Size of the span==

===Biblical usage=== {{See also|English units of measurement}} ; 1 span := 9 inches<ref name="Steen1846">{{cite book|author=Isaiah Steen|title=A treatise on mental arithmetic, in theory and practice|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wDAEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA9|access-date=27 January 2012|year=1846|page=9}}</ref> := 22.86 cm

===Chinese usage=== In China and Chinese cultured countries, a span ('''一拃''') refers to the distance between the tip of the thumb and the tip of the outstretched index finger (sometimes middle finger), and typically measures {{cvt|15-20|cm|in}}.

===Arabic usage=== In Arabic, the analogue of the great span is the ''šibr'' (شبر). It is used in Modern Standard Arabic and classical Arabic, as well as in modern-day dialects.

===Slavic usage=== {{See also|Historical Russian units of measurement}} In Slavic languages, the analogue of the span is various words derived from Proto-Slavic *''pędь'' (Bulgarian ''педя'', Polish ''piędź'', Russian ''пядь'', Serbian ''педаљ,'' Slovenian ''ped'', etc.). In various Slavic languages it is the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger or index finger. For example, Slovenian ''velika ped'' = great span ({{cvt|23|cm|in}}), ''mala ped'' = little span ({{cvt|9.5|cm|in}}); Russian ''piad'' = 4 ''vershoks'' = {{cvt|17.8|cm|in}}.

===African usage=== In Swahili, the equivalent of the great span (thumb to little finger) is the ''shubiri'' or ''shibiri'' while the little span (thumb to forefinger) is the ''morita'' or ''futuri''.<ref name="Madan1903">{{cite book|author=Arthur Cornwallis Madan|title=Swahili-English dictionary|url=https://archive.org/details/swahilienglishdi00mada|access-date=27 January 2012|year=1903|publisher=Clarendon press|page=[https://archive.org/details/swahilienglishdi00mada/page/78 78]}}</ref>

===Hungarian usage=== In Hungarian, the span, or ''arasz'', is occasionally used as an informal measure and occurs in two varieties: measured between the tips of the extended thumb and index finger, it is ''kis arasz'' (the "small arasz"); between the tips of the thumb and little finger, it is ''nagy arasz'' (the "large arasz"). The term "''arasz''," used by itself without a modifier, is usually understood as referring to the "large ''arasz''," i.e., to the "span."

===South Asian usage=== In Hindi-Urdu and other languages of Northern India and Pakistan, the span is commonly used as an informal measure and called ''bālisht'' (Urdu: بالشت, Hindi: बालिश्त).<ref name="Lockyer">Norman Lockyer, "Nature," Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan Journals Ltd., 1922.</ref>

In Bengali, it is called ''bighāt'' (বিঘত or বিঘৎ).

In Marathi, it is called ''weet'' (वीत).

In Nepal, where this method of measurement is still used in informal context, a span is called ''bhitta''.

In Tamil, it is called ''saaN''.

===Southeast Asian usage=== In Southeast Asia, the span is used as an informal measure.

In Malay and Indonesian, it is called ''jengkal''.

In Thai, it is called ''khuep''.

In Filipino, it is called ''dangkal''.

===Mongolian usage=== The span is commonly used as a traditional and informal measure in Mongolia, where it is called ''tuu'' (төө). Depending on the use of index or middle finger and the placement of the thumb, the span is named differently as ''tuu'' (төө) and ''mukhar tuu'' (мухар төө) etc. ===Portuguese usage=== {{main|Portuguese customary units}}

The old Portuguese customary unit analogue to the span was the ''palmo de craveira'' or simply ''palmo''.

1 ''palmo de craveira'' = 8 ''polegadas'' (Portuguese inches)<ref name="Monteverde1861">{{cite book|author=Emilio Achilles Monteverde|title=Manual Encyclopedico para Uzo das Escolas de Instrucção Primaria|year=1861|publisher=Imprensa Nacional, Lisboa}}</ref> <nowiki>=</nowiki> 1/5 ''varas'' (Portuguese yards)<ref name="Monteverde1861" /> <nowiki>=</nowiki> {{cvt|0.22|m|in|lk=on}}<ref name="Monteverde1861" />

==Notes== {{reflist}}

==References== *Lyle V. Jones. 1971. “The Nature of Measurement.” In: Robert L. Thorndike (ed.), ''Educational Measurement'', 2nd ed. Washington, DC: American Council on Education, pp. 335–355.

Span Category:Imperial units Category:Units of length