For metric's sake, hands off place names like Sixmilecross, Five Mile
Island, Sixmilebridge (near Limerick, Ireland), Tiengemeten (an island in
the Netherlands, named after 10 old area units called 'gemet'), Vieracker
(place in Germany- means Fouracres); Ventimiglia, in Italy (means
Twentymiles).
The BWMA et all would dearly love us to fall in such a trap. Such names have
never increased resistance to metric. Trying to metricate them would be a
disaster. Tenkilometrecross, Eight Kilometer Island? Trentechilometri? etc.
If I were a BWMA mole, I would try to goad SI-supporters in trying to do
just that.
One day a distance sign will say: "Sixmilecross 10 km". And in the ROI
(Republic of Ireland), metric signs lead to Sixmilebridge. And, of course,
this has been the case for generations in Italy on the road to Ventimiglia.
It would look stupid if 7 miles boots in a fairy tale became xx
kilometerboots.
And in the city of Deventer spiced cake (Deventer koek) is sold in a
variant:
Ellekoek, Ellscake (the length of an old measure, about 69 cm). I will
never,
ever do anything about this. It is a hundred years old tradition.
Apart from this the ell was used only in the textile branch. All other
measurements
of length were in feet and inches (voeten en duimen). As the ell and the
foot/inch
were unrelated there were conversions factors like: 1 ell = 2 voet 6-3/8
duim.
In Geneva the ell was much longer as it measured 3 pieds 7 pouces 10-1/2
lignes.
Britain had an easier time as either the yard was also used as an ell, or
the 45 inch
ell was used.
Han
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pat Naughtin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Saturday, October 20, 2001 2:35 AM
Subject: [USMA:15722] Milk churn
> Dear All,
>
> This morning an item in 'The Age' , a Melbourne daily, read as follows:
>
> 'BELFAST. Police arrested six people yesterday after discovering a
60-kilogram bomb in a Catholic village near Omagh, scene of the deadliest
attack in Northern Ireland's conflict. Police raided the home in
Sixmilecross, eight kilometres west of Omagh, on Wednesday night and
discovered the bomb hidden in a metal milk churn.'
I thought you might like to check the journalist's conversion from miles to
kilometres, and to mull on the matter of the resistance of names like
'Sixmilecross' from any change to SI.
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin
CAMS - Certified Advanced Metrication Specialist
- United States Metric Association
ASM - Accredited Speaking Member
- National Speakers Association of Australia
Member, International Federation for Professional Speakers
> --
>
>
