A French unit of measurement equal to about 2.25 millimeters, traditionally used in watchmaking and typography. Also refers to a line or row in French contexts.
From French 'ligne' meaning 'line,' derived from Latin 'linea.' In specialized contexts like watchmaking, it became a precise unit of measurement, with 12 lignes equaling one French inch (about 27mm).
The ligne demonstrates how precision crafts create their own measurement systems - Swiss watchmakers still use this centuries-old French unit because mechanical movements were originally designed to these proportions, making it more practical than converting to metric.
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