ell

Meaning

Noun

• A measure of length. An English ell was 1¼ yards (45 inches or 114 cm), whereas a Scottish ell measured only about 37 inches (94 cm) and a Flemish ell was ¾ yard (27 inches or 69 cm).
• An extension usually at right angles to one end of a building.
• Something that is L-shaped.

Origin

• From Middle English elle, elne, from Old English eln ("the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger; a unit of measure"), from Proto-Germanic *alinō, from Proto-Indo-European, from *Heh₃l-. Cognate with Dutch el ("ell"), German Low German Ell ("ell"), German Elle ("ell"), Swedish aln ("cubit; ell"), Icelandic alin ("cubit; ell"), Latin ulna ("forearm").
• From the name of the letter L