An ell (from Proto-Germanic alinō, cognate with Latin ulna) is a northwestern European unit of measurement, originally understood as a cubit (the combined length of the forearm and extended hand). The word literally means “arm”, and survives in form of the modern English word “elbow” (arm-bend).
An ell is a northwestern European unit of measurement, originally understood as a cubit. The word literally means “arm”, and survives in form of the modern English word “elbow”. Later usage through the 19th century refers to several longer units, some of which are thought to derive from a “double ell”.