micra = micron
This is an example of sites sending words or phrases that we would rarely or never use. I don't think I've ever used the word micron in my life, so why would I care what it means in Spanish.
Anybody use this word?
There are so many useful words that I do learn on a daily basis, and there are so many more that I have never heard or seen, useful ones..
32 Answers
In Argentina, micrón is more usual than micra, and is what we use, So I guess it will depend on where you are living. The primary word is micrometro (without the tilde) and it means 1/1000000 of a meter, or what is the same 1/1000 of a milimeter. As Lazarus says, the instrument to measure it is called a "micrómetro", which is a micrometer.
James Santiago said:
'The Metric system' was invented and introduced by Napoleon,Sorry, but no. Louis XVI initiated the system. Read "The Measure of All Things" for a very interesting history of the system.Many French ships were lost as a result and probably explains why the Americans have retained the US Imperial system.Again, no. There is no rational reason for our failure to adopt the system, which is clearly superior to the Imperial system. The only reasonable explanation is that we are an arrogant and stubborn nation.
The interesting thing is that the imperial system needs awkward mathematical counting systems. Most adults do not realise that they can do it. For the major part of our lives, we use the number ten as a base.Very handy as we have ten fingers. Ask anyone in England what 2+2 equals to the base of three, or 15+6 equals to the base of sixteen and I bet they will say they don't know. Ask them what 2 feet + 2 feet equals and they will give you the answer 1 yard 1 foot, so 2+2 to the base of three is eleven. 15 ounces + 6 ounces is 1lb 5ounces so 15 + 6 to the base of 16 is 15. Because of the imperial system in England, these are some of the different bases we have had to count to.
2, 4, 3, 1760, 12, 20, 240, 16,14, 8, 2240, and many many more.
I ran across these interesting facts
Key Dates in History of Metric System
1585
A decimal system for weights and measures is proposed (by Simon Stevin, in his book "The tenth").
1670
Gabriel Mouton, Vicar of St. Paul's Church in Lyons and an astronomer, proposes a metric system. Authorities credit him as the originator of what was to become the metric system.
1790
Thomas Jefferson proposed a decimal based measurement system for the USA. A subsequent vote in the USA congress to replace the current UK-based system by a metric system was lost by only one vote.
1790s
Investigations conducted into reforming French weights and measures, which result in development and adoption of the metric system. Credit for authorising this is variously assigned (depending on which document one reads) to Louis XVI, Napoleon and the National Assembly of France.
1795
The metric system becomes the official system of measurement in France
1840
Metric system compulsory in France since this date.
1800s
International support for metric system grows. International scientific community switches to metric system.
1900s
By 1900, 39 countries had officially switched to the metric system. By the end of the century virtually all countries, with the USA being the only notable exception, had switched to the metric system.
1959
UK and USA redefine the inch to be 2.54 cm. In 1963 the UK redefines the pound to be exactly 0.45359237 kilograms. In 1985 the UK redefines the gallon to be exactly 3.785411764 liters. The USA took similar steps, although the USA gallon is smaller and consequently has been redefined as 3.785411784 liters.
1960
The metric system officially renamed to "Système International d'Unités" (International System of Units), and given the official symbol SI.
Current
The metric system has been adapted by virtually every country, with the only notable exception being the USA (the other non-metric countries are Liberia and Burma). Some countries (such as the UK) are still in transition to the metric system.
'The Metric system' was invented and introduced by Napoleon,
Sorry, but no. Louis XVI initiated the system. Read "The Measure of All Things" for a very interesting history of the system.
Many French ships were lost as a result and probably explains why the Americans have retained the US Imperial system.
Again, no. There is no rational reason for our failure to adopt the system, which is clearly superior to the Imperial system. The only reasonable explanation is that we are an arrogant and stubborn nation.
Eddy said:
Hi Motley Great post, 28 replies about one word.
Those tropical heat waves made her do it!
Hi Motley
Great post, 28 replies about one word.
lazarus1907 said:
Guillermo said:
In Argentina, micrón is more usual than micra, and is what we use, So I guess it will depend on where you are living. The primary word is micrometro (without the tilde) and it means 1/1000000 of a meter, or what is the same 1/1000 of a milimeter. As Lazarus says, the instrument to measure it is called a "micrómetro", which is a micrometer.
In Spain we don't make the distinction that you do in Argentina: we write and pronounce both the unit and the instrument like "micrómetro". The DRAE hasn't included yet the version without the accent:micrómetro.1. m. Instrumento de gran precisión destinado a medir cantidades lineales o angulares muy pequeñas.2. m. Medida de longitud que equivale a la millonésima (10-6) parte del metro. (Símb. 'm).Real Academia Española © Todos los derechos reservados
This point about accents is interesting because as you know we do not generally use them in English to define stresses etc. As stated, the instrument is a micrometer but without knowing, where would you put the stress on this word. As a matter of interest it is stressed exactly the same way as in spansih with the stress on the "O".
That's a lot of feathers!!
Natasha said:
Zoltán said:
James Santiago said:
I'm not saying that some manufacturers don't make metric products to satisfy their customers, but the metric system is NOT in use in everyday life in the US. We buy our gasoline in gallons, we bake our cakes using cups and tablespoons, we build our houses using non-metric-sized lumber and fasteners, we measure distances in miles, and on and on. The metric system has entered our lives in only a few areas. We buy Coca Cola in two-liter bottles and drug dealers buy their wares in kilos and grams, for example. But the average American (other than scientists, etc.) has no idea how many grams are in a kilogram, or centimeters in a meter. There is a famous case in which NASA spent millions to send a probe to Mars, but it crashed because one of the parts had been produced in non-metric rather than metric.
Only half of them were not metric.
Using cups and spoons for cooking drives me up the wall. What I commonly make I converted to grams. Luckily there are some excellent conversion programs on the Internet.
I have two different 1 Cup measuring cups in my cupboard. A friend who lives in Mexico was visiting and she pointed out that they are actually different sizes. One says "250 ml" and the other says "236.6 ml". Also, you cannot imagine how dumb I felt the other day (as a math teacher) trying to figure out how many ml corresponded to a teaspoon, in order to give my baby the right dose of medicine for his weight.I say, let's go metric!
So Natasha what's heavier ....a metric tonne of Lead or a metric tonne of feathers
They need to get with the Japanese, they have developed a square watermelon.
TimEivissa said:
Well in Europe,Brussels Euro-politicians(M.E.P.'s) have been causing many problems,even attempting to jail British shopkeepers who refuse to sell fruit and vegetables in metric weights! They have laws to govern the correct curvature of a banana!!!
(I don't know how many degrees it should be!)
>
lazarus1907 said:
Zoltán said:
I used micrometer probably dozens of time a day not as a measurement but as tolerance. Well this is irrelevant, I just want to ask a question without starting a new thread. In Hungary we used kilo as a measure of weight, deci as measurement of liquid, centi as a measurement of length. I know this is sloppy language but common people (me) used that that way. Does something similar exist in Spanish?
My last answer was rubbish. Let me try again:Kilo is a standard short for kilogramo, even though there can be kiliojulios, kilofaradios, and others. However, "centi" or "mili" alone are never used (in Spain).
'The Metric system' was invented and introduced by Napoleon, therefore the phraseolgy for weights and measurements like kilo, kilometre, centimetre, micron all stem from French. Napoleon's system is only convenient up to a point, for example when the same principle was applied to Latitude and Longitude (100 minutes in one degree instead of 60) the metric system broke down - Pythagorus' 22/7 becomes difficult when expressed as a decimal. Many French ships were lost as a result and probably explains why the Americans have retained the US Imperial system.
Well in Europe,Brussels Euro-politicians(M.E.P.'s) have been causing many problems,even attempting to jail British shopkeepers who refuse to sell fruit and vegetables in metric weights!
They have laws to govern the correct curvature of a banana!!!
(I don't know how many degrees it should be!)
motley said:
Timely information
http://spanish.about.com/od/spanishvocabulary/a/metric.htm
Unless we're alcoholics or drug dealers/users; in which case we already knew it! jeje
Timely information
Looks like I started something, as usual.
I know we are metrically challenged in the U.S. & attempts to change us haven't been very successful. I just use a converter if I need to know & something as small as a micron, to me is just iddy, biddy or minute.
One thing we know is liter as in booze & the drug users & dealers know their grams.
I never realized that this many people would use these words.
Paralee, it would be nice to have audio with the new words & phrases. One site I receive has it & I find it helpful to hear a whole sentence.
The site is improving every day & it is really great. Thanks to all those responsible.
