Convert Span (Cloth) (span) to Cubit (Greek) (cubit (greek)) instantly.
About these units
Span (Cloth) (span)
The span is a unit traditionally used in textile measurement, equal to the distance between the tip of the thumb and the tip of the little finger when the hand is fully extended, approximately 22.86 cm (9 inches). This anthropometric unit was widely used by weavers and cloth merchants to measure lengths of fabric quickly and intuitively. Its small scale made it convenient for practical applications where tape measures or rulers were unavailable. The span also appears in cultural and historical texts as a natural unit of human proportion. While largely obsolete today, it offers insight into pre-industrial textile practices and the anthropometric basis of early measurement systems.
Cubit (Greek) (cubit (greek))
The Greek cubit (approximately 0.462 meters) is an ancient unit based on the length of the forearm from elbow to fingertip. It was widely used in Greek architecture, engineering, and construction projects, including temples and civic buildings. Greek architects and surveyors applied the cubit to create proportional structures, ensuring harmony between different elements of a building. Its simplicity — derived from the human body — made it practical for field measurements in the absence of standardized tools. The cubit also held symbolic and ritual significance, often appearing in religious texts, design manuals, and classical literature. Modern historians and archaeologists study the Greek cubit to reconstruct ancient plans and understand the practical realities of classical building techniques.