Why would any one stop short of 5281 feet and declare it to be a standard (U.S.) measure of length?
5280 feet. Stop. Ah, one mile!
Why not an even 5000 feet? At least that would make more sense.
Why does 5280 feet equal a mile?
100 links = 1 chain = 22 yards
10 chains = 1 furlong = 220 yards
8 furlongs = 1 mile
1 link is a link of a measuring chain extending 22 yards- a measure of land in width. (0r te length of a cricket pitch.
10 chains makes 1 furlong, a useful measure of length
and 8 furlongs to a mile.
Hence 1726 yards or 5280 feet to the mile.
‘Rule of thumb- all measurements will be expressed in the most awkward units available, for instance, speed will be measured in furlongs per fortnight’
So – this doesn’t answer your “why 5280” question, and I’m not sure if this has anything to do with the origins of a “mile”, but:
The Talmud uses a measurment called a “mil” (pronounced meel) which is 2000 amos (cubits). As with everything in Talmud, there are two major opinions as to the length of a cubit. One translates to about 48cm and the other to about 60cm in modern measurments. This translates to a mil being either about 960 meters or 1200 meters which is either 0.6 or 0.75 miles. Since the name sounds so similar to mile, perhaps there is some common origin.
oh sure that clears it all up <rolleyes smiley>
Even if Cecil wrote that I would have to call his bluff
I recall reading that it started with the Roman measurement of 1000 paces, which go simplified to 5000 feet at some point. Then someone by the name of Queen Bertha (I recall that whatever source I was reading referred to her merely as such without reference to what she may have been queen of) decided to add 280 feet to get it to convert more easily to chains and furlongs. Also, it converts nicely to 330 rods (16 feet = 1 rod).
All those many of us that use rods, links, chains, and furlongs will be forever in Queen Bertha’s debt for making our lives that much easier. 