When in doubt, use a better dictionary. :) Using Rowlett's dictionary of measurement units: http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/dictM.html millier a former name for the tonne or metric ton. This name, obsolete now, was used in Britain to avoid confusion with the British long ton. http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/dictT.html tonneau the traditional French ton, equal to 2000 livres or about 979 kilograms (1.079 U.S. ton). The tonneau was also used as a measure of volume equal to 42 cubic pieds (50.84 cubic feet, or about 1440 liters). In the wine trade, the tonneau was a shipment of 100 cases, or 1200 bottles (about 900 liters of wine). Of course, this still fails to explain how it became a soft cover over part of a vehicle. But apparently, it was a traditional (non-metric) French ton before it was 1000 kg.
--- On Sun, 4/26/09, John M. Steele <[email protected]> wrote: From: John M. Steele <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [USMA:44875] RE: Metric Act of 1866, was IEEE/ASTM SI-10 To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Date: Sunday, April 26, 2009, 4:38 PM Yes. Here it used mostly as a term for a soft cover over the bed of a pickup truck. But it clearly doesn't weigh a tonne. I can shed no light on the term. I'm as puzzled as anyone. My dictionary has no measurement-related definition for tonneau or anything at all for millier. --- On Sun, 4/26/09, Stephen Humphreys <[email protected]> wrote: From: Stephen Humphreys <[email protected]> Subject: [USMA:44875] RE: Metric Act of 1866, was IEEE/ASTM SI-10 To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Date: Sunday, April 26, 2009, 4:12 PM #yiv467251346 #yiv1467048963 .hmmessage P { margin:0px;padding:0px;} #yiv467251346 #yiv1467048963 { font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;} It's actually amazing what you learn on this list from time to time (apart from how methods of measuring things can take over some people and make them personally aggressive that is!) As a car enthusiast - which is a very expensive hobby unfortunately - the term 'tonneau' is used to describe a soft top for cabriolet (drop head) cars to cover over the 'living quarters' (so to speak) in order to protect the cockpit from rain - usually as a temporary measure (ie to quickly protect against a shower). I wonder how the term came about and why it appears to have been adopted from a metric measure? Currently I'm looking for one for our latest metal addition to the family (a Triumph Stag). Steve Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2009 04:22:43 -0700 From: [email protected] Subject: [USMA:44874] Metric Act of 1866, was IEEE/ASTM SI-10 To: [email protected] Pat, The USMA laws page includes the Metric Act of 1866. It has been amended to remove invalid conversion tables, but the history section at the bottom has scans of the actual bill and tables. We were using meter, liter and deka- at the time. However, the metric ton (1000 kg) is described with two terms, tonneau and millier, I assume "everyone" later simplified tonneau to tonne, and the other died out. However, both sets of spelling have been used. The Mendenhall Order of 1893 (found on same page) uses metre, litre, and even gramme. Also on the same page, U. S. Grant's report to Congress on the Treaty of the Meter uses "meter" but it is only a US report, not the original. Finally, the Upton report of 1878 seems to indicate that the original spellings of "are" and "stere" (cubic meter) omitted the final "e", although the Metric Act of 1866 shows a final "e" in both cases. These are just data points. I've never seen anything that would represent a scholarly tracking of the situation. Share your photos with Windows Live Photos – Free. Try it Now!
