An arpent (, sometimes called arpen) is a unit of
length and a unit of
area
Area is the quantity that expresses the extent of a region on the plane or on a curved surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while ''surface area'' refers to the area of an open s ...
. It is a pre-
metric French unit based on the Roman
''actus''. It is used in
Quebec, some areas of the
United States that were part of
French Louisiana, and in
Mauritius and the
Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, ...
.
Etymology
The word ''arpent'' is believed to derive from the
Late Latin ''arepennis'' (equal to half a ''
jugerum''), which in turn comes from the
Gaulish
Gaulish was an ancient Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switzerl ...
*''are-penno''- ("end, extremity of a field").
Unit of length
There were various standard arpents. The most common were the arpent used in North America, which was defined as 180
French feet (', of approximately ), and the arpent used in Paris, which was defined as 220 French feet.
* In North America, 1 arpent = 180 French feet = about 192
English feet = about 58.47
metres
* In Paris, 1 arpent = 220 French feet = about 234 English feet = about 71.46 metres
Unit of area
Historically, in North America, 1 (square) arpent ('), also known as a French acre, was 180 French feet × 180 French feet = 32,400 French square feet = about 3419
square metre
The square metre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures) or square meter ( American spelling) is the unit of area in the International System of Units (SI) with symbol m2. It is the area of a square ...
s = about 0.845 English
acres. Certain U.S. states have official definitions of the arpent which vary slightly:
* In
Louisiana,
Mississippi,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = " Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
, and
Florida, the official conversion is 1 arpent = .
* In
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage la ...
and
Missouri, the official conversion is 1 arpent = .
In Paris, the square arpent was 220 French feet × 220 French feet = 48,400 French square feet, about .
In Mauritius and Seychelles, an arpent is about 4220.87
square metre
The square metre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures) or square meter ( American spelling) is the unit of area in the International System of Units (SI) with symbol m2. It is the area of a square ...
s, 0.4221 hectares, 1.043 acres.
Louisiana
In Louisiana, parcels of land known as ''arpent'' sections or French ''arpent'' land grants also pre-date the
Public Land Survey System (PLSS), but are treated as PLSS sections. An ''arpent'' is a French measurement of approximately , and a square arpent (also referred to as an ''arpent'') is about .
French arpent land divisions are long narrow parcels of land, also called
ribbon farms, usually found along the navigable streams of southern Louisiana, and also found along major waterways in other areas. This system of land subdivision was begun by French settlers in the 18th century, according to typical French practice at the time and was continued by both the Spanish and by the American government after the acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase. A typical French arpent land division is 2 to 4 arpents wide along the river by 40 to 60 arpents deep, while the Spanish arpent land divisions tend to be 6 to 8 arpents wide by 40 arpents deep.
This method of land division provided each land-owner with river frontage as well as land suitable for cultivation and habitation. These areas are given numbers just like standard sections, although the section numbers frequently exceed the normal upper limit of 36.
[The Public Land Survey System (PLSS)](_blank)
See also
*
Acre
*
Morgen
A morgen was a unit of measurement of land area in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Lithuania and the Dutch colonies, including South Africa and Taiwan. The size of a morgen varies from . It was also used in Old Prussia, in the Balkans, ...
*
Units of measurement in France before the French Revolution
*
Voltaire famously dismissed Canada as ''
Quelques arpents de neige'', "a few acres of snow".
*
Weights and Measures Act (Canada)
The ''Weights and Measures Act'' (R.S. 1985; french: Loi sur les poids et mesures) (long title: ''An Act respecting weights and measures'') is a Canadian law governing the units of measurements used in Canada.
Originally passed in 1970 as part of ...
{{div col end
References
Units of area
Units of length
Area
Surveying
hu:Hold (mértékegység)
ro:Iugăr