well, I had to go to ell to find this:
(actually, it was only M-W...)

Main Entry: ell
Pronunciation: 'el
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English eln, from Old English; akin to Old High German elina ell, Latin ulna forearm, Greek OlenE elbow, Sanskrit aratni
: a former English unit of length (as for cloth) equal to 45 inches (about 1.14 meters); also : any of various units of length used similarly

didn't know that before.


formerly known as etaoin...