pounds = lbs, ounces = oz?

[Nemesis77]

What's the deal with those abbrevations? How exactly is "lbs" an abbrevation of "pound"? Same thing with ounces... They just don't make sense!

Anyone willing to fill me in on this?

 

[Haircut]

I think lb comes from libra, which is the latin for scales

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Nemesis77
What's the deal with those abbrevations? How exactly is "lbs" an abbrevation of "pound"? Same thing with ounces... They just don't make sense!

Anyone willing to fill me in on this?

Ask the Brits. It was their system.

 

[Mill]

The British currency is pounds and I recall that being why Pounds(weight) is LBS.

 

[Nemesis77]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Nemesis77
What's the deal with those abbrevations? How exactly is "lbs" an abbrevation of "pound"? Same thing with ounces... They just don't make sense!

Anyone willing to fill me in on this?

Ask the Brits. It was their system.

Damn brits, always screwing around....

 

[Moonbeam]

I was always better with pounds and shillings.

 

[GroundZero]

it is an abbreviation for libra, the Latin word for
a unit of weight in ancient Rome approximately equal to but
less than the avoirdupois pound..whose weight was anything between 4944 and 5220 grains.

the abbreviation "oz" seems to have come from the Italian "onza" - meaning ounce.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Haircut
I think lb comes from libra, which is the latin for scales

Mathcentral says so too.

 

[Nemesis77]

Thanks guys . I feel smarter already

EDIT: But what about ounces = oz? There is SOME resemblance, but not whole lot.

EDIT2: D'oH! missed GroundZeros reply...

 

[dpm]

Originally posted by: Nemesis77

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Nemesis77
What's the deal with those abbrevations? How exactly is "lbs" an abbrevation of "pound"? Same thing with ounces... They just don't make sense!

Anyone willing to fill me in on this?

Ask the Brits. It was their system.

Damn brits, always screwing around....

We like to keep you on your toes....

 

[911paramedic]

Oh yeah? How come a drop is abbreviated as a gtt in medical terms? (don't ask me, I just go with the flow)

EDIT: just looked it up, it is for this reason:

Main Entry: gtt
Function: abbreviation
Etymology: Latin gutta, pl. guttae
drop

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: GroundZero
it is an abbreviation for libra, the Latin word for
a unit of weight in ancient Rome approximately equal to but
less than the avoirdupois pound..whose weight was anything between 4944 and 5220 grains.

the abbreviation "oz" seems to have come from the Italian "onza" - meaning ounce.

Main Entry: lb
Function: abbreviation
Etymology: Latin libra
pound