Swedish units of measurement

In Sweden, a common system for weights and measures was introduced by law in 1665. Before that, there were a number of local variants. The system was slightly revised in 1735. In 1855, a decimal reform was instituted that defined a new Swedish inch as 1/10 foot. It did not last long, because the metric system was subsequently introduced in 1889. Up to the middle of the 19th century there was a death penalty for falsifying weights or measures.Fact|date=December 2007

Length

* "aln" – Forearm (cf. Ell) (pl. "alnar"). After 1863, 59.37 cm. Before that, from 1605, 59.38 cm as defined by king Carl IX of Sweden in Norrköping 1604 based on the "Rydaholmsalnen".
* "famn" – Fathom, 3 "alnar".
* "kvarter" – Quarter, 1/4 "aln"
* "fot" – Foot, 1/2 "aln". Before 1863, the Stockholm "fot" was the commonly accepted unit, at 29.69 cm.
* "linje" – Line, after 1863 1/10 "tum", 2.96 mm. Before that, 1/12 "tum" or 2.06 mm.
* "mil" – Mile, also "lantmil". From 1699, defined as a unity mile of 18000 "aln" or 10.69 km. The unified mile was meant to define the suitable distance between inns. (The current Swedish mil is exactly 10 kilometers,)
* "nymil" – New mile from 1889, 10 km exactly. Commonly used to this day, only referred to as "mil".
* "kyndemil" – The distance a torch will last, approx 16 km
* "skogsmil" – Also "rast", distance between rests in the woods, approx 5 km.
* "fjärdingsväg" – 1/4 "mil"
* "stenkast" – Stone's throw, approx 50 m, used to this day as an approximate measure.
* "ref" – 160 "fot", for land measurement, was 100 "fot" after 1855.
* "stång" – 16 "fot", for land measurement
* "tum" – Thumb (inch), after 1863 1/10 "fot", 2.96 cm. Before that, 1/12 "fot" or 2.474 cm.
* "tvärhand" – Hand, 4 inches.

Area

* "kannaland" – 1000 "fot"², or 88.15 m²
* "kappland" – 154.3 m².
* "spannland" – 16 "kappland"
* "tunnland" – 2 "spannland"
* "kvadratmil" – Square "mil", 36 million square "favnar", from 1739.

Volume

* "pot" – Pot (pl "pottor"), 0.966 L
* "tunna" – 2 "spann"
* "ankare" – Liquid measure, 39.26 L
* "ohm" – Also "åm", 155 "pottor"
* "storfavn" – 3.77 m³
* "kubikkfavn" – 5.85 m³

Weight

* "skeppspund" – Ships pound, 20 "lispund" or 170.03 kg.
* "bismerpund" – 12 "skålpund", 5.101 kg.
* "lispund" – 20 "skålpund"
* "skålpund" – Pound, 0.42507 kg
* "mark" – 1/2 "skålpund" or 212.5 g. Used from the Viking era, when it was approx 203 g.
* "ort" – 4.2508 g

Nautical

* "kabellängd" – Initially 100 "famnar" or 178 m, Later, a "distansminut" or 1/10 nautical mile.
* "kvartmil" – Quarter mile, 1852 m, identical to nautical mile.
* "sjömil" – Sea mile, 4 "kvartmil", 7408 m

Monetary

* "daler" – From 1534, Swedish thaler. From 1873, replaced by the "krona".
* "riksdaler" – From 1624, 1 1/2 "daler", from 1681 2 "daler", from 1715 3 "daler", from 1776 6 "daler"
* "skilling" – From 1776, 1/48 "riksdaler"
* "mark" – From 1534, 1/3 "daler". From 1604, 1/4 "daler".
* "öre" – From 1534, 1/8 "mark". Subsequently replaced by the "skilling", but from 1855 reintroduced as 1/100 "riksdaler".

See also

* Weights and measures
* Historical weights and measures
* SI

External links

* [http://www.maritimt.net/trj/hjelpetabeller.htm Scandinavian units]
* [http://www.algonet.se/~hogman/slmatt.htm Swedish units]