Old Russian measures - creative workshop of Solgerd. Russian system of measures

1. VERSHOK, shka; m. 1. An ancient Russian measure of length equal to 1/16 arshin or 4.4 centimeters (used before the introduction metric system). 2. About the most insignificant space, distance, etc. Search every in. On the from death (about the threat... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary

Grab the tops. Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian dictionaries, 1999. vershok noun, number of synonyms: 3 vershnik (10) ... Dictionary of synonyms

An old Russian measure of length equal to 4.4 cm. Dictionary of culinary terms. 2012… Culinary dictionary

Russian length measure equal to 13/4 inches (4.45 cm). Originally equal to the length of the phalanx index finger. 4 inches = 1 span... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

VERSHOK, VERSHOK, husband. 1. Russian length measure of about 4.4 cm, used before the introduction metric measures. There are 16 vershoks in an arshin. He was five vershoks tall (i.e. two arshins and five vershoks). || Very small, insignificant space, length. Neither... ... Dictionary Ushakova

VERSHOK, shka, husband. An old Russian measure of length equal to 4.4 cm. On v. from death (translated: about impending death). Two inches from the pot, no. (about someone who is still very small; colloquial joke.). | adj. vershkovy, oh, oh. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu.... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

Old Russian unit of measurement, originally equal to the length of the main phalanx of the index finger. In the Russian system of measures (since the 18th century) it is equal to 1.75 inches... 1 vershok = 1/48 fathoms = 1/16 arshin = 1/4 span = 1.75 inches = 4.445 cm = 44.45... ... Wikipedia

VERSHOK- An ancient Russian measure of length, used before the introduction of the metric system of measures (1918), equal to 4.4 cm. The word vershok is formed from the noun top by adding the suffix ok and originally had the meaning of ‘a small excess, which ... ... Linguistic and regional dictionary

There is no particularly ancient information about the vershka as a unit of length. The trade book speaks of it as 1/16 of an arshin, and gives the following advice to merchants: the Germans measure cloth along the back, and according to our Russian measure, next to the cut, otherwise it will arrive at just an arshin... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron

VERSHOK.- Own r. It has been found in monuments since the 16th century. Formed using suf. ькъ (VERSHOK.ek) from the top… Sitnikov's etymological dictionary

inch- VERSHOK, shka, m Russian length measure equal to 13/4 inches (4.45 cm), used before the introduction of the metric system. Initially, the vershok as a measure of length was equal to the length of the phalanx of the index finger... Explanatory dictionary of Russian nouns

Books

Russian etymological dictionary. Issue 6. Shaft I - inch IV, A.E. Anikin. The dictionary is a collection of etymology covering the main vocabulary fund Russian language. Based on the achievements of modern philological science it examines the origins and...
Russian etymological dictionary. Issue 6 (Val I - Vershok IV), Anikin A.. The dictionary is a set of etymology, covering the main vocabulary of the Russian language. Based on the achievements of modern philological science, it examines the origin and...

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Synonyms:

See what “Vershok” is in other dictionaries:

1. VERSHOK, shka; m. 1. An ancient Russian measure of length equal to 1/16 arshin or 4.4 centimeters (used before the introduction of the metric system). 2. About the most insignificant space, distance, etc. Search every in. On the from death (about the threat... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary

An old Russian measure of length equal to 4.4 cm. Dictionary of culinary terms. 2012… Culinary dictionary

Russian measure of length equal to 13/4 inches (4.45 cm). Initially equal to the length of the phalanx of the index finger. 4 inches = 1 span... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

VERSHOK, VERSHOK, husband. 1. Russian measure of length about 4.4 cm, used before the introduction of metric measures. There are 16 vershoks in an arshin. He was five vershoks tall (i.e. two arshins and five vershoks). || Very small, insignificant space, length. Neither... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

VERSHOK.- Own r. It has been found in monuments since the 16th century. Formed using suf. ькъ (VERSHOK.ek) from the top… Sitnikov's etymological dictionary

Books

Russian etymological dictionary. Issue 6. Shaft I - inch IV, A.E. Anikin. The dictionary is a collection of etymology, covering the main vocabulary of the Russian language. Based on the achievements of modern philological science, it examines the origin and...

When there were no meters, no centimeters, much less kilometers, how did a person measure distance and length?
Yes, very simply - by yourself. For example, you need to measure fabrics, you can use your hand, the distance from the elbow to the top of the finger is a good measure, it was called the elbow.

What is an inch, how much is it?

If you look at all kinds of dictionaries, then this is a measure of length that assumes the distance from the top of the finger to the second joint (the bend of the finger), that is, one phalanx. If measured in centimeters, then it is approximately four and a half centimeters (depending on which finger).

The name itself already reveals the meaning - This is the top, the top, and the very tip. A secondary meaning immediately follows from this.
This is what is on top. For example, in some regions of Russia skimmed cream from milk was called tops. I also remember a fairy tale about how a man and a bear divided the harvest - who would get the tops and who would get the roots.
This word is also perceived as meaning something very small, not very significant. Russian proverbs and sayings remind us of this.

"Two inches from the pot."
“He’s as tall as an inch, but as tall as a pot of words.”

Sometimes we visually use this measure when talking about something insignificant, pointing with our fingers and saying: “not that much...” I think that everyone is familiar with this gesture.

Small span – the distance between the ends of the spread thumb and index (or middle) fingers = 17.78 cm.

Large span (Great span) - distance between ends thumb and little finger (22-23 cm).

Somersault span (“span with somersault”, according to Dahl – ‘span with somersault’) – span with the addition of two joints of the index club = 27-31 cm

Since the 17th century, a length equal to a span was called differently - “a quarter of an arshin”, “a quarter”, “chet”.

PALM

Palm - a measure of length equal to the width of the palm.

VERSHOK

Vershok equal to the length of the two upper phalanges of the index finger.

The length of the top is:

1/4 quarter;
1/16 arshin;
4.5 cm.

ELBOW

The ancient measures of length, used everywhere in Rus', also included the cubit, as evidenced, in particular, by Yaroslav the Wise’s “Russian Truth” (11th century). Magnitude elbow was determined by the distance from the elbow to the end of the extended middle finger or the hand clenched into a fist, which was approximately 46 cm and 38 cm, respectively.

Thus, in the ancient Russian elbow exactly two spans fit: large (in the first case) or small (in the second). Some documents also mention big elbow , equal to length arms from the base of the shoulder to the thumb, which is approximately 54 cm or two spans with somersault.

The cubit was widely used as a measurement (along with the span and fathom) in construction. Special significance he acquired in trade: with retail sales fabrics was considered the main unit of length, and during wholesale purchases it played the role of a control measure.

ARSHIN

Eat different versions origin of the arshin measure of length. Perhaps, initially, “arshin” denoted the length of a human step (about seventy centimeters, with normal walking on the plain, at an average pace) and was the base value for other large measures of determining length, distances (fathom, verst). The root "AR" in the word a r sh i n - in Old Russian language(and in others, among neighboring peoples) means “EARTH”, “surface of the earth”, “furrow” and indicates that this measure could be used in determining the length of the path traveled on foot. There was another name for this measure - STEP. In practice, counting could be done in pairs of steps of an adult of normal build (“small<простыми>fathoms"; one-two - one, one-two - two, one-two - three...), or threes ("official fathoms"; one-two-three - one, one-two-three - two.. .), and when measuring small distances in steps, it was used step by step counting. Later, they began to use it in the same way, under this name, equal value– arm length.

According to another version, from the end of the 11th century. the elbow began to be forced out more large unit length - arshin, the use of which began with trade relations with the East. Long time the cubit and arshin were used simultaneously with each other: the first was used to measure Russian-made fabrics, the second - foreign ones. However, over time, the arshin began to dominate and penetrated into various branches of production in the 17th century. was recognized as the official measure of length in the state.

It is believed that the word “arshin” goes back to the Persian “arsh” - elbow, which was once borrowed Turkic languages, from where it came into the Russian language. An arshin was equal to the length of an arm - from the base of the shoulder to the tip of the extended middle finger.

In the 16th – 18th centuries, its size was about 72 cm and (according to some sources) was one and a half times greater than that of an elbow (so, according to the “Trading Book”, 2 arshins = 3 elbows).

Arshin was also the name given to a measuring ruler, on which divisions in vershoks were usually applied.

Merchants, when selling goods, as a rule, measured it with their arshin (ruler) or quickly - measuring “from the shoulder”. To exclude measurements, the authorities introduced, as a standard, the “government arshin,” which is a wooden ruler with metal tips with a state mark riveted at the ends.

STEP - average length human step = 71 cm. One of the oldest measures of length.

SAZHEN

Sazhen is one of the most common measures of length in Rus'.

There are two main types of fathoms:

oblique fathom;
fly fathom.

Oblique (oblique) fathom – distance from the end of the raised fingers right hand to the toe of the left foot (2.48 m).

Machaya fathom - the distance between the ends of the middle fingers of arms outstretched to the sides is 1.76 m.

There are more than a dozen names for different fathoms:

policewoman;
great;
government;
royal;
church;
folk;
masonry;
simple;
small

Their length ranged from 134.5 cm to 284.8 cm.

This ancient measure length is mentioned by Nestor in 1017. The name sazhen comes from the verb to reach (reach) - as far as one could reach with one’s hand. To determine the meaning of the Old Russian fathom, a major role was played by the discovery of the stone on which it was carved Slavic letters inscription: “In the summer of 6576 (1068) indictment 6 days, Prince Gleb measured... 10,000 and 4,000 fathoms.” From a comparison of this result with the measurements of topographers, a fathom value of 151.4 cm was obtained. The results of measurements of temples and the value of Russian folk measures coincided with this value. There were fathomed measuring ropes and wooden “folds”, which were used in measuring distances in construction and in land surveying.

According to historians and architects, there were more than 10 fathoms and they had their own names, were incommensurable and not multiples of one another. Fathoms: city - 284.8 cm, untitled - 258.4 cm, great - 244.0 cm, Greek - 230.4 cm, state - 217.6 cm, royal - 197.4 cm, church - 186.4 cm, folk - 176.0 cm, masonry - 159.7 cm, simple - 150.8 cm, small - 142.4 cm and another one without a name - 134.5 cm (data from one source), as well as - courtyard, pavement.

Fathoms were used before the introduction of the metric system of measures.

VERST

Verst - old Russian travel measure (its early name- ""field""). This word originally referred to the distance traveled from one turn of the plow to another during plowing. Two titles for a long time used in parallel, as synonyms. Known references in written sources 11th century. In manuscripts of the 15th century. there is an entry: “field of 7 hundred and 50 fathoms” (750 fathoms long). Before Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, 1 verst was considered 1000 fathoms. Under Peter the Great, one verst was equal to 500 fathoms, in modern terms - 213.36 X 500 = 1066.8 m.

"Verstoy" was also called a milestone on the road.

The size of the verst changed repeatedly depending on the number of fathoms included in it and the size of the fathom. The Code of 1649 established a “boundary mile” of 1 thousand fathoms. Later, in the 18th century, along with it, a “travel mile” of 500 fathoms (“five hundredth mile”) began to be used.

Boundary mile - Old Russian unit of measurement equal to two versts. A verst of 1000 fathoms (2.16 km) was widely used as a boundary measure, usually when defining pastures around major cities, and on the outskirts of Russia, especially in Siberia - and to measure distances between populated areas.

The 500-fathom verst was used somewhat less frequently, mainly for measuring distances in the European part of Russia. Long distances, especially in Eastern Siberia, were determined in days of travel. In the 18th century boundary versts are gradually being replaced by travel ones, and the only verst in the 19th century. there remains a “travel” mileage equal to 500 fathoms.

Measures of length (used in Russia after the Decree of 1835 and before the introduction of the metric system):

1 verst = 500 fathoms = 50 poles = 10 chains = 1.0668 kilometers

1 fathom = 3 arshins = 7 feet = 48 vershoks = 2.1336 meters

Oblique fathom = 2.48 m.

Mach fathom = 1.76 m.

1 arshin = 4 quarters (spans) = 16 vershok = 28 inches = 71.12 cm (divisions in vershok were usually applied to the arshin)

1 cubit = 44 cm (according to different sources from 38 to 47 cm)

1 foot = 1/7 fathom = 12 inches = 30.479 cm

1 quarter<четверть аршина>(span, small pip, pyadnitsa, pyada, pyaden, pyadyka) = 4 vershka = 17.78 cm (or 19 cm - according to B.A. Rybakov)

Small span = 17.78 cm.

"Span with somersault" = 27 - 31 cm.

1 vershok = 4 nails (width - 1.1 cm) = 1/4 span = 1/16 arshin = 4.445 centimeters

1 finger ~ 2 cm.

New measures (introduced since the 18th century):

1 inch = 10 lines = 2.54 cm

The name comes from the Dutch word for "thumb". Equal to the width of your thumb or the length of three dry grains of barley taken from the middle part of the ear.

1 line = 10 points = 1/10 inch = 2.54 millimeters (example: Mosin’s “three-ruler” - d = 7.62 mm.)

The line is the width of a wheat grain, approximately 2.54 mm.

1 hundredth fathom = 2.134 cm

1 point = 0.2540 millimeters

1 geographical mile (1/15 degree of the earth's equator) = 7 versts = 7.42 km

(from Latin word"milia" - a thousand (steps))

1 nautical mile(1 minute of arc of the earth's meridian) = 1.852 km

1 English mile= 1.609 km

1 yard = 91.44 centimeters

In the second half of the 17th century, the arshin was used together with the vershok in various industries production. In the “Description Books” of the Armory Chamber of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery (1668) it is written: “... a copper regimental cannon, smooth, nicknamed Kashpir, Moscow made, length three arshins and a half-eleven vershok (10.5 vershok) ... Large cast-iron archina, Iron lion, with belts, length three arshins, three quarters and a half inch." The ancient Russian measure “elbow” continued to be used in everyday life for measuring cloth, linen and woolen fabrics. As follows from the Trade Book, three cubits are equivalent to two arshins. The span as an ancient measure of length still continued to exist, but since its meaning changed, due to agreement with a quarter of the arshin, this name (span) gradually fell out of use. The span was replaced by a quarter arshin.

From the second half of the XVIII centuries, the divisions of the vershok, in connection with the reduction of the arshin and fathom to a multiple ratio with English measures, were replaced by small English measures: inch, line and point, but only the inch took root. Lines and dots were used relatively little. The lines expressed the dimensions of lamp glasses and the calibers of guns (for example, ten- or 20-line glass, known in everyday life). The dots were used only to determine the size of gold and silver coins. In mechanics and mechanical engineering, the inch was divided into 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 parts.

In construction and engineering The division of fathoms into 100 parts was widely used.

The foot and inch used in Russia are equal in size to English measures.

The decree of 1835 determined the relationship between Russian measures and English ones:

Fathom = 7 feet

Arshin = 28 inches

A number of units of measurement (verst divisions) were abolished, and new measures of length came into use: inch, line, point, borrowed from English measures.

Insufficient rights to comment

System Old Russian measures length included the following basic measures: verst, fathom, arshin, elbow, span and vershok.

ARSHIN- an ancient Russian measure of length, equal in modern terms to 0.7112 m. Arshin was also the name given to a measuring ruler, on which divisions in vershoks were usually applied.

For small measures of length the basic value was the measure used from time immemorial in Rus' - "span" (from the 17th century - a length equal to a span was called differently - "quarter arshin", "quarter", "chet"), from which, by eye, it was easy to get smaller shares - two vershok (1/2 span) or vershok (1/4 span).

STEP- average length of a human step = 71 cm. One of the oldest measures of length.

VERST- Old Russian travel measure (its early name was “field”). This word originally referred to the distance traveled from one turn of the plow to another during plowing. The two names have long been used in parallel, as synonyms. Under Peter the Great, one verst was equal to 500 fathoms, in modern terms - 213.36 X 500 = 1066.8 m.
"Verstoy" was also called a milestone on the road.
The Code of 1649 established a “boundary mile” of 1 thousand fathoms. Later, in the 18th century, along with it, a “travel mile” of 500 fathoms (“five hundredth mile”) began to be used.

SAZHEN- one of the most common length measures in Rus'. There were more than ten fathoms of different purposes (and, accordingly, size). “Makhovaya fathom” is the distance between the ends of the fingers of an adult man’s widely spaced hands. “Oblique fathom” is the longest: the distance from the toe of the left foot to the end of the middle finger of the raised right hand. Used in the phrase: “he has slanting fathoms in his shoulders” (meaning - hero, giant)

Fathoms were used before the introduction of the metric system of measures.

ELBOW equal to the length of the arm from the fingers to the elbow (according to other sources - “the distance in a straight line from the elbow to the end of the extended middle finger”). The magnitude of this oldest measure length, according to various sources, ranged from 38 to 47 cm. Since the 16th century, it was gradually replaced by the arshin and in the 19th century it was almost not used.

VERSHOK equaled 1/16 arshin, 1/4 quarter. In modern terms - 4.44 cm. The name "Vershok" comes from the word "top". IN literature XVII V. There are also fractions of an inch - half an inch and a quarter inch.

Length measures(used in Russia after the “Decree” of 1835 and before the introduction of the metric system):

1 verst = 500 fathoms = 50 poles = 10 chains = 1.0668 kilometers

1 fathom = 3 arshins = 7 feet = 48 vershoks = 2.1336 meters

Oblique fathom = 2.48 m.
Mach fathom = 1.76 m.

1 arshin = 4 quarters (spans) = 16 vershok = 28 inches = 71.12 cm
(divisions in vertices were usually applied to arshins)

1 cubit = 44 cm (according to various sources from 38 to 47 cm)

1 foot = 1/7 fathom = 12 inches = 30.479 cm

Volume measures

Bucket

bucket= 1/40 barrel = 10 mugs = 30 pounds of water = 20 vodka bottles (0.6) = 16 wine bottles (0.75) = 100 glasses = 200 scales = 12 liters
Barrel- most often in peasant life small barrels and kegs from 5 to 120 liters were used. Large barrels could hold up to forty buckets (forty)

Wine measures

Bucket– Russian premetric measure of the volume of liquids, equal to 12 liters

Quarter<четвёртая часть ведра>= 3 liters (previously it was a narrow-necked glass bottle)

Measure" bottle"appeared in Russia under Peter I.
Russian bottle= 1/20 bucket = 1/2 damask = 5 glasses = 0.6 liters (half a liter appeared later - in the twenties of the 20th century)

Since the bucket held 20 bottles (2 0 * 0.6 = 12 liters), and in trade the count was on buckets, the box still holds 20 bottles.

For wine, the Russian bottle was larger - 0.75 liters.

A flat bottle is called flask.

Shtof(from German Stof) = 1/10 bucket = 10 glasses = 1.23 l. Appeared under Peter I. Served as a measure of the volume of all alcoholic drinks. The shape of the damask was like a quarter.

Mug(the word means “for drinking in a circle”) = 10 glasses = 1.23 l.

Modern faceted glass was previously called "doskan" ("planed boards"), consisting of fret-boards tied with rope around a wooden bottom.

Charka(Russian measure of liquid) = 1/10 shtofa = 2 scales = 0.123 l.

Stack= 1/6 bottle = 100 grams It was considered the size of a single dose.

Shkalik (popular name- “kosushka”, from the word “mow”, according to the characteristic movement of the hand) = 1/2 cup = 0.06 l.

Quarter(half a scale or 1/16 of a bottle) = 37.5 grams.

Ancient volume measures:

1 cu. fathom = 9.713 cubic meters meters

1 cu. arshin = 0.3597 cubic meters meters

1 cu. vershok = 87.82 cubic meters. cm

1 cu. ft = 28.32 cu. decimeter (liter)

1 cu. inch = 16.39 cu. cm

1 cu. line = 16.39 cu. mm

1 quart is a little more than a liter.

Weights

In Rus' the following measures were used in trade weight(Old Russian):
Berkovets = 10 poods
pud = 40 pounds = 16.38 kg
pound (hryvnia) = 96 spools = 0.41 kg
lot = 3 spools = 12.797 g
spool = 4.27 g
fraction = 0.044 g
...

Hryvnia(latest pound) remained unchanged. The word "hryvnia" was used to denote both weight and monetary unit. This is the most common measure of weight in retail and craft applications. It was also used for weighing metals, in particular gold and silver.

BERKOVETS- this large measure weight, used in wholesale trade mainly for weighing wax, honey, etc.
Berkovets - from the name of the island of Bjerk. This is what was called in Rus' a measure of weight of 10 pounds, just a standard barrel of wax, which one person could roll onto a merchant boat sailing to this very island. (163.8 kg).
There is a known mention of Berkovets in the 12th century in the charter of Prince Vsevolod Gabriel Mstislavich to the Novgorod merchants.

GOLDEN equaled 1/96 of a pound, in modern terms 4.26 g. They said about it: “the spool is small but expensive.” This word originally meant a gold coin.

LB(from the Latin word "pondus" - weight, weight) was equal to 32 lots, 96 spools, 1/40 pood, in modern terms 409.50 g. Used in combinations: "not a pound of raisins", "find out how much a pound of raisins is."
The Russian pound was adopted under Alexei Mikhailovich.

LOT– Old Russian unit of mass measurement, equal to three spools or 12.797 grams.

SHARE– the smallest old Russian unit of mass measurement, equal to 1/96 of a spool or 0.044 grams.

PUD equaled 40 pounds, in modern terms - 16.38 kg.

Area measures

Area measures surfaces:

1 sq. verst = 250,000 square fathoms = 1.138 sq. kilometers

1 tithe = 2400 square fathoms = 1.093 hectares

1 kopn = 0.1 tithe

1 sq. fathom = 16 square arshins = 4.552 sq. meters

1 sq. arshin=0.5058 sq. meters

1 sq. vershok=19.76 sq. cm

1 sq. ft=9.29 sq. inches=0.0929 sq. m

1 sq. inch=6.452 sq. centimeter

1 sq. line=6.452 sq. millimeters

Ancient measures in modern language

In modern Russian language vintage units measurements and words denoting them are preserved mainly in the form of proverbs and sayings

Sayings:

“You write in big letters” - large

"Kolomenskaya Versta" is a humorous name for a very tall man.

"Oblique fathoms in the shoulders" - broad-shouldered

Dictionary

Currency units

Quarter = 25 rubles
Ruble = 2 half
Tselkovy - the colloquial name for the metal ruble
Poltina = 50 kopecks
Quarter = 25 kopecks
Five-altyn = 15 kopecks
Altyn = 3 kopecks
Dime = 10 kopecks
kidney = 1 half
2 money = 1 kopeck
1/2 copper money (half a coin) = 1 kopeck.
Grosh (copper penny) = 2 kopecks.

Polushka (otherwise half money) was equal to one kopeck. This is the smallest unit in the ancient money account. Since 1700, half coins were minted from copper = 1/2 copper money was equal to 1 kopeck.

Ancient Russian quantities:
Quarter - quarter, quarter
"a quarter of wine" = a fourth of a bucket.
"quadruple grain" = 1/4 cady
kad - old Russian measure friable solids(usually four pounds)
Osmina, osmukha - eighth (eighth) part = 1/8
An eighth of a pound was called osmushka ("octam of tea").
"a quarter to eight" – time = 7:45 am or pm
Five - five units of weight or length
A ream is a measure of paper, formerly equal to 480 sheets; later - 1000 sheets
"one hundred and eighty osmago November day of osmago" - 188 November eighth
Pregnancy is a burden, an armful, as much as you can wrap your arms around.
Half a third - two and a half
Half a point = 4.5
Half elevenths = 10.5
Half a hundred - two hundred and fifty
Field - "arena, lists" (115 steps - a variant of the magnitude), later - the first name and synonym for "verst" (field - million - mile), Dahl has a variant meaning of this word: "daily march, about 20 versts"
“Printed fathom” - official (standard, with a state stamp), measured, three arshins
A cut is an amount of material in a single piece of fabric sufficient to make any clothing (for example, a shirt)
“No estimate” - no number
Perfect, perfect - suitable, to match