Origins of the Metric vs Imperial Measurement Systems

Linguist Rob Watts of RobWords looked back at the seemingly random yet fascinating origins behind the Metric vs Imperial measurement systems, noting that the Imperial system came first. It started with the ancient Egyptians, then moved to ancient Greece and ancient Rome before finally landing in modern day United States. Watts goes over the various measuring units, noting how they came to be.

Let’s explore the historical and linguistic origins of the metric and imperial systems. From ancient Roman feet to French revolutionary timekeeping, we look at the surprising stories behind the units we still use today — including the inch, yard, mile, pint, and tonne.

Watts explains how the Metric system became the dominant measurement standard thanks to the French Revolution, albeit with notable exceptions.

The metric system is by far the globally dominant system for measurements. That French revolutionary metre really caught on, unlike their weird clocks and even weirder calendars. Now all of these countries are on metric. … America is a major imperial holdout with its US customary units. …there’s a common misconception outside of Britain that we’re fully committed to metric. …Our road system is still in miles and yards, we give our height in feet and inches, and we order our warm beer by the pint!

The United States had begun teaching the Metric system in schools, but that was ended abruptly with a new administration.