6.6: §128. The Metric System

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§128. The Metric System

The METRIC SYSTEM was developed in France during the decade that followed the French Revolution (1790-1799); the terminology was all drawn from Greek or Latin. The SYSTÈME INTERNATIONAL (SI) is a 20th century refinement and extension of metric, formally approved in 1960; its terminology goes beyond Greek and Latin. An excellent summary can be found in the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Some original metric measures:
length	METRE	(< G μετρον): originally defined as “one ten-millionth part of a meridional quadrant of the earth” (the quadrant of the earth’s circumference running from the North Pole through Paris to the equator)
area	ARE	(< L area): 10 m x 10 m (= 100 m²) HECTARE (100 ares): 100 m x 100 m (= 10,000 m²)
mass	GRAM	(< Late L gramma, “small weight” < G γραμμα): 1 cc of distilled water at maximum density (4°C), weighed in vacuo
volume	LITRE	(< ML litra < G λιτρα, “a measure”): a cube 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm (1,000 cc); thus l litre of pure water has a mass of 1 kg
	STERE	(< G στερεος): 1 cubic metre, or a cube 100 cm x 100 cm; thus 1 stere is equivalent to 1 kilolitre.

Prefixes in SI Measurement:

	Multiple	Prefix	Symbol	Etymology
trillion	10¹²	tera-	T	G	τερας	“monster”
billion	10⁹	giga-	G	G	γιγας	“giant”
million	10⁶	mega-	M	G	μεγας	“big”
thousand	10³	kilo-	k	G	χιλιοι
hundred	10²	hecto-	h	G	ἑκατον
ten	10	deka-	da	G	δεκα

	Submultiple	Prefix	Symbol	Etymology
tenth	10^-1	deci-	d	L	decem
hundredth	10^-2	centi-	c	L	centum
thousandth	10^-3	milli-	m	L	mille
millionth	10^-6	micro-	μ	G	μικρος	small
billionth	10^-9	nano-	n	G	νανος	dwarf
trillionth	10^-12	pico-	p	It.	piccolo (?)	small
quadrillionth	10^-15	femto-	f	Dan./Norw.		femten (15)
quintillionth	10^-18	atto-	a	Dan./Norw.		atten (18)