TraditionalSwedish units of measurement were standardized by law in 1665, prior to which they only existed as a number of related but differing local variants. The system was slightly revised in 1735. In 1855, a decimal reform was instituted that defined a new Swedish inch as1⁄10 Swedish foot (2.96 cm or 1.17 inches). Up to the middle of the 19th century, there was a law allowing the imposition of thedeath penalty for falsifying weights or measures. After a decision by the parliament in 1875,[1] Sweden adopted themetric system on 22 November 1878, with a ten-year transition period until 1 January 1889.
As part of the transition, theSwedish mil measurement was maintained, but was shortened from18000alnar – the equivalent of 10.69 km (6.64 mi) – to exactly 10 kilometres (6.2 mi). This measurement is still in use in both Sweden and Norway (which werein a union at the time).
The Swedish units of length included the following:
aln – "forearm" (cf.ell) (pl.alnar). After 1863, 59.37 centimetres (1.948 feet). Before that, from 1605, 59.38 cm as defined by KingCarl IX of Sweden inNorrköping 1604, based onRydaholmsalnen.
fot – "foot",1⁄2aln. Before 1863, theStockholmfot was the commonly accepted unit, at 29.69 cm (0.974 ft).
kvarter – "quarter",1⁄4aln.
tum orverktum – "inch",1⁄6kvarter or1⁄12fot, making it 2.47 centimetres (0.97 inches).
linje – "line", after 18631⁄10tum, 2.96 mm (0.117 in). Before that,1⁄12tum or 2.06 mm.
mil – "mile", alsolantmil. From 1699, defined as a unity mile of18000alnar or 10.69 km (6.64 mi). The unified mile was meant to define the suitable distance between inns. After the 1889 metric conversion theSwedish mil is defined as exactly 10kilometers.
nymil – "new mile" from 1889, 10 km exactly. Commonly used to this day, only referred to asmil.
kyndemil – the distance a torch will last, approx 16 km (9.9 mi).
skogsmil,rast – distance between rests in the woods, approx. 5 km (3.1 mi).
fjärdingsväg –1⁄4mil.
stenkast – "stone's throw", about 50 m (164 ft), used to this day as an approximate measure.
rev – 160fot, for land measurement, was 100fot after 1855.
stång – 16fot, for land measurement.
tum – "thumb" (inch),1⁄12fot, 2.474 cm (0.974 in). After 1863decimaltum,1⁄10fot, 2.96 cm, not much accepted by professional users in mechanics and carpentry who later switched to English inch (2.54 cm, abandoned only late 20th century) and metric system.
