ell

Signification (English)

A measure of length. An English ell was 1¼ yards (45 inches or 114 cm), a Scottish ell was about 37 inches (94 cm), a Flemish ell was ¾ yard (27 inches or 69 cm), while certain European ells were less than 50 cm.

Concepts

aune

aile

🪽

coudée

cubitus

Synonyms

wing

🪽

cubit

extension

ellwand

foil

forearm

ala

paddle

pennon

pinion

ulna

vane

intense heat

hand

✋

annexe

batten

blade

Prononcé comme (IPA)

/ˈɛl/

Étymologie (English)

Inherited from moyen anglais: elle

Inherited from ancien anglais: eln

Cognate with néerlandais: el

Cognate with allemand: Elle

Cognate with suédois: aln

Cognate with islandais: alin

Cognate with latin: ulna

In summary

From Middle English elle, elne, from Old English eln (“the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger; a unit of measure”), from Proto-West Germanic *alinu, from Proto-Germanic *alinō, from Proto-Indo-European *Heh₃l-én-eh₂, from *Heh₃l- (“elbow, forearm”).
Cognate with Dutch el (“ell”), German Low German Ell (“ell”), German Elle (“ell”), Swedish aln (“cubit; ell”), Icelandic alin (“cubit; ell”), Latin ulna (“forearm”).