ell

An ell is not something you find in your alphabet soup, even though its shape does match a letter. Today, it most often means a part of a building that sticks out at a right angle from the main structure, making an L-shape. If you walk through an old farmhouse, you might find the kitchen or a woodshed tucked into the "ell." In the past, it was also a unit used to measure cloth, equal to 45 inches in England. We use yards or meters now, but this old word still carries a bit of the past with it.

The word "ell" has a history rooted in the human body, but its primary meanings today are found in architecture and history. The word itself comes from the Old English "eln," referring to the forearm. This is why a historical "ell" was a unit of measurement based on the distance from the elbow to the fingertip. In England, this was standardized at 45 inches, though the length varied wildly across Europe; a Scottish ell was about 37 inches, while a Flemish ell was only 27! This measurement was the standard for the textile trade for centuries.

In architecture, an "ell" describes a secondary wing of a building attached at a right angle to the main block. This was a common way to expand homes in colonial New England, allowing families to add space for a "summer kitchen" or extra storage without altering the main house's structural integrity. When you look at the floor plan of such a house, the footprint resembles the letter "L."

While you won't use an "ell-stick" to measure fabric today, you might still hear the word in the old proverb: "Give him an inch and he'll take an ell." This expression warns that if you give someone a small concession, they will try to take a much larger advantage. Understanding "ell" connects you to the physical history of trade and the practical evolution of our living spaces.