Talk:Composition of Yards and Perches

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Perch = Rod?

I've deleted the link to the rod (unit) page, as the statute (as quoted) doesn't mention them. We have a page on the perch (unit), which the quotation does mention, so I've linked to that. If anyone has information that says the statute does define the rod as well, perhaps they could bring it here? Moonraker12 (talk) 11:39, 13 April 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Perch, Rod, and Pole are terms or the same linear measure of 16.5 feet (5.5 yards), and should be referenced within this article to avoid unnecessary confusion. This information could be inserted at the end of the article; for example, "Alternate names for the perch not mentioned in the statute are the rod and the pole; each of these refer to the customary linear unit of 16.5 feet." — Preceding unsigned comment added by Westcider (talk • contribs) 18:05, 19 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Latin

Foot had this

Ordinatum est, quod tria grana ordei sicca et rotunda faciunt pollicem, duodecim pollices faciunt pedem, tres pedes faciunt ulnam, quinque ulnae et dimidia faciunt perticam, et quadraginta perticae in longitudine et quatuor in latitudine faciunt unam acram. — Compositio ulnarum et perticarum
"It is ordained that three dry round grains of barley make an inch, 12 inches make a foot, three feet make a yard, five yards and a half make a perch, and 40 perches in length and four in breadth make one acre."

but without a source clarifying where it came from. It belongs here but should have its source clarified before inclusion. — $Llywelyn II$ 19:46, 12 April 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Change of size of the foot

It was this statute that, for reasons unknown, reduced the size of the foot (and therefore also the yard) by one eleventh, but kept other lengths the same, thus redefining the number of yards to a perch, yards to a mile and so on. This explains the 5½ yards, since it is 11/10×5, 5 being the number of yards per perch before that, and the bizarre 1760 yards to a mile, which was previously 1600 yards (40×40), but now 1600×11/10. I think this should be mentioned in this article. Pemboid (talk) 11:05, 12 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Sounds reasonable enough but would need a citation and further search for the reason first. I read somewhere a surmise that it was a Norman foot v an Anglo-Saxon foot but don't recall where, sorry. 𝕁𝕄𝔽 (talk) 12:23, 12 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, without direct WP:SCHOLARSHIP sourcing, we could easily fall into error. For example, it might be easier to find a passing mention that the definition changed with this law than to find a careful examination as to whether the law created a new definition, selected one of various established usages (perhaps even supported by previous statute) or merely regularised an existing convergence. Admittedly, what with the paucity of records and uncertainty even about the date of the statute, it's a question that may not have appealed to many scholars. NebY (talk) 13:05, 12 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]