Convert Foot (US Survey) (ft (US)) to Famn (famn) instantly.
About these units
Foot (US Survey) (ft (US))
The US Survey Foot is a standardized version of the foot, defined as exactly 1200/3937 meters (~0.30480061 m). It was adopted to maintain continuity with older surveying records when converting to the metric system. Surveyors, engineers, and geographers in the United States used this unit for mapping, cadastral surveys, and infrastructure projects. Its slight difference from the international foot allows historical survey data to align accurately with modern geodetic coordinates. Although the international foot is now more common, the US survey foot remains relevant for interpreting historical survey data and legal property boundaries.
Famn (famn)
The famn, related to the English fathom, was a Scandinavian unit roughly equal to 1.78 meters. Like other fathoms, it originated as the distance between a person's outstretched arms, making it a natural measure for tasks performed at arm's length. Historically, the famn was used in maritime contexts, forestry, and measuring firewood. Sailors relied on it when describing water depth, rope lengths, and the dimensions of boats. On land, stacked firewood was often quantified in famnar, making the unit central to resource management in cold northern regions. Today, the famn has largely disappeared from practical use, but it continues to appear in maritime literature, folklore, and historical accounts. Its surviving references help illuminate the working methods and daily experiences of Nordic sailors, fishermen, and rural communities prior to metrication.