In Finland, approximate units of measure derived from body parts and were used for a long time, some being later standardised for the purpose of commerce. Some Swedish, and later some Russian units have also been used.

The measurements were first standardized in the law of 1665 and revised 1735. Before that, the measurements varied from town to town. The units used in town of Porvoo were unusually large; the proverb mitata Porvoon mitalla (to measure in Porvoo units) means to measure in excess or generously. Riverside storage buildings in Old Porvoo Porvoo (IPA: [ˈporʋoː]), or Borgå in Swedish, is a municipality of about 47,000 inhabitants, situated on the southern coast of Finland approximately 50 kilometres east of Helsinki. ...

Certain units were standardized to Metric in 1861; Finland converted fully to Metric system 1880.

Units of length

• linja – (2.06 mm) The width of barleycorn, 1/12th of tuuma
• tuuma – (24.74 mm) The width of tumb, 1/6th of vaaksa or 1/12th of jalka. Metrinen tuuma = 25 mm.
• vaaksa – (148.44 mm) The distance between the tips of little finger and thumb, when the fingers are fully extended. 6 tuuma or 1/2 jalka. Today defined as 150 mm.
• jalka – (296.9 mm) The length of human foot. 1/2 kyynärä.
• kyynärä – (593.76 mm) The distance from the elbow to the fingertips. Metrinen kyynärä = 500 mm.
• syli – Fathom, (c. 180 cm) the distance between the fingertips of both hands when the arms are raised horizontally on the sides. In maritime, syli is 1/1000th of nautical mile (1.852 m)
• vakomitta – (213.6 m) The furrow's length on field. 1/5 virsta
• virsta – 2672 m (Swedish) 1068.84 m (Finnish). 1/10th peninkulma.
• peninkulma – (before 1600 5 virsta (5344.2 m, after 1600 10 virsta (10 688.4 m) The distance a barking dog can be heard in still air.
• päivämatka – (c. 20 km) The distance of one day's travel. 2 peninkulma or 20 virsta.

A nautical mile is a unit of length. ...

Units of weight

• luoti – (13.95 g); the weight of a musket ball. 1/2 unssi
• unssi – (27.9 g). 1/8 of markka or 1/16th of naula
• markka – (213.8 g). 1/2 of naula. Name of the Finnish monetary unit 1861-2002
• naula – (425.6 g). 1/20 of leiviskä; metrinen naula = 500 g
• leiviskä – (8.5004 kg). 1/5 of sentneri; metrinen leiviskä = 10 kg
• sentneri – (42.56 kg): 100 naula. Senttaali = 200 metrinen naula or 100 kg.
• kippunta – (170 kg); 20 leiviskä or 400 naula.

Units of area

• kannunala – (88.15 m²). 1000 square jalka.
• kapanala – (154 m²) 1/32 of tynnyrinala. The area (of field) that could be sown with one bushel of grain.
• panninala – (2464 m²) 16 kapanala, 1/2 of tynnyrinala. The area (of field) that could be sown with one panni of grain,
• tynnyrinala – (4936.5 m²) The area (of field) that could be sown with one barrel of grain.
• äyrityisenmaa – 3 926 square kyynärä. The area which grows grain worth of one äyrityinen for taxation
• äyrinmaa – 11 777 square kyynärä. The area which grows grain worth of one äyri for taxation.
• penninginmaa – 490 790 square kyynärä. The area which grows grain worth of one penninki for taxation.

Units of volume

• jumpru – 0.818 cl. 1/4 of kortteli.
• kortteli – Used for both length (14.845 cm, same as vaaksa) and volume (3.2715 dl). Name derives from Swedish kvartdel, meaning "quarter". As unit of length 1/4 of kyynärä.
• tuoppi – (1.3274 l). 1/2 of kannu.
• kannu – (2.6172 l). 1/2 of kappa. Also called pikkukappa (exactly 2.5 l)
• kappa – (5.4961 l) Still in use (rectified as exactly 5 liters) as kappa or isokappa at market places to measure potatoes.
• ankkuri – (39.26 l). 15 kannu. Used for liquids.
• nelikko – (43.986 l). 8 kappa. Used for solids.
• panni – (87.96 l). 2 nelikko and 1/2 tynnyri. Used for solids
• tynnyri – (125.6 l) 48 kannu. Barrel for liquids.
• tynnyri – (175 l) 32 kappa. Barrel for solids.
• lästi – (1507 l) 12 tynnyri for liquids.
• lästi – (2110 l) 12 tynnyri for solids.

Maritime units

• meripeninkulma – 1852 m. Same as nautical mile. One angular minute at equator.
• kaapelinmitta – 185.2 m. 1/10 of a nautical mile.
• syli – 1.852 m. 1/1000 of a nautical mile. Seldom used.
• solmu – nautoval miles per hour. Speed unit.

Obsolete: A nautical mile is a unit of length. ...

• merisekunti* – 30.8666 m. 1/60 of nautical mile
• meritertia* – 0.51444 m. 1/3600 of nautical mile

Miscellaneous

• kivenheitto – 100 kyynärä (approx 50 m). Today to describe something to be very near.
• poronkusema – (approximately 7.5 km). A Lappish measurement of distance; the distance between the reindeer needs to urinate. Today to describe something is at very obscure distance away. Poronkusemaa kuukaudessa furlongs per fortnight
• tusina 12
• toltti 12 (lumber)
• tiu 20 (eggs)
• buntta 20 (matchboxes)
• kerpo 31 (lampreys; 30 as a bunch and one for tying)
• kiihtelys 40 (squirrel pelts)
• riisi 144 (paper sheets)
• tonni 1000 (usually refers to 1000 kg, but can refer also anything of 1000, especially money)
• motti 1 m³ (firewood or waste paper)
• valovuosi (light year) to describe something is extremely distant or unaccessible

Jump to: navigation, search Binomial name Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758) The reindeer, known as caribou in North America, is an Arctic and Subarctic-dwelling deer (Rangifer tarandus). ... Strange units are sometimes used by scientists, especially physicists and mathematicians, and other technically-minded people such as engineers and programmers, as bits of dry humor combined with practical convenience. ... A light year, abbreviated ly, is the distance light travels in one year: roughly 9. ...

See also

• Weights and measures
• Historical weights and measures
• SI

Weights and measures is a term used by legal authorities in English speaking countries such as the United Kingdom for a function related to units of measurement in trade. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Jump to: navigation, search The International System of Units (abbreviated SI from the French language name Système International dUnités) is the most widely used system of units. ...

External link

• Scandinavian units