Dear Nicola,
Let me add a friendly amendment to Diane Wright's contribution
regarding measurements. In 15th and 16th century Florence, "da panno"
meant "of woven cloth", usually wool unless specified otherwise. I
believe that "da tela" meant cloth of canvas, or some other loosely woven
fabric (but not silk). The density of the weave may account for how much
it could stretch when pulled against an arm; hence the discrepancy between
the two measurements and weights. Whether these same distinctions applied
in 17thC Faenza remains an open question.
For more information, you might look at Emanuele Repetti
(1776-1852), _Dizionario geografico fisico storico della Toscana_ (6
vols.).
Sharon Strocchia
Dept. of History
Emory University
Atlanta, GA 30322
Ph: 404-727-4285
Fax: 404-727-4959
On Tue, 19 Sep 2000, Nicola M. Gentili wrote:
> Dear Colleagues,
>
> I am taking the liberty of calling upon you for some information.
>
> In some research that I am doing I come across Italian measurements of
> the 1660s and find that at Faenza un braccio "da panno" of 12 once
> was 0.638 m., "da tela" of 12 once was 0.720 m.
>
> What is the meaning of "da panno" and of "da tela"?
>
> Also, is the word "once" derived from the Latin "unus" from which the English
> words "ounce" (28.4 g) and "inch" (0.254 m) are derived?
>
> Can it be that the Italian word "once" and the English word "inch" both
> designate a unit of length of about 2.5 cm?
>
> Notice also that in French the word "pouce" means not only "thumb"--
> which can be considered a "finger" corresponding to the Italian
> "dito"--but also "pouce" means "inch."
>
> If it is not inconvenient, I would appreciate your help in answering these
> questions.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Nicola M. Gentili
>
> --
> Mr. NICOLA M. GENTILI
> Administrative Coordinator
> Center for Italian Studies
> Film Studies Program
> Lecturer in Italian
> Department of Romance Languages
> University of Pennsylvania
> 549 Williams Hall
> 36th & Spruce Streets
> Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305
> Phone: (215) 898-6040
> Fax: (215) 898-0933
> e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~ngentili/
>
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