Ell was a measure of length taken from the forearm. The word came from an Anglo-Saxon word, eln, or the Teutonic alina, which means the forearm from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow. In the Middle Ages, the ell was the unit of measurement used for wool cloth, one of the main articles of trade in medieval Europe. The English ell was 45 inches (114 centimeters), the Scottish was 37 inches (94 centimeters), and the Flemish was 27 inches (69 centimeters). The French ell was 48 inches (120 centimeters).
