Monday, May 11, 2009

What is an Old English word for a quarter-acre?


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Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #73 down: "Old English quarter of an acre measure"
ROOD
Answer: A rood = ¼ acre = 10,890 sq ft = 1,210 sq yards = 40 sq poles. (A sq pole, by the way, = 30¼ sq yards.)

Source: Old Imperial Lengths & Areas

The More You Know: The etymologically related to the unit rod, the two are not the same.
  • A rod = 16.5 ft = 5.5 yd
  • A chain = 4 rods = 66 feet = 22 yards
  • In Medieval England, 1 acre = 1 chain (4 rods) x 1 furlong (10 chains)
  • Furlong = "one plough's furrow long," or the length a plough team was to be driven without resting