A unit of measurement used in India, particularly for measuring textiles and cloth, equivalent to about 45 inches.
From Hindi "ānkī" or Sanskrit "aṅka," meaning a measure or mark. The word entered English through colonial Indian trade language during British rule in India.
This word is a fascinating remnant of British colonialism—English borrowed hundreds of measurement terms from India because British traders needed to communicate with local merchants, and many of these words are now almost forgotten even though they shaped global commerce.
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