sesma

See also: Sesma

English

Etymology

From Spanish sesma, from Latin sexta (“sixth”), from its use as a sixth of the vara (Spanish yard or rod).

Noun

sesma (plural sesmas)

1. (historical) A traditional Spanish unit of length, equivalent to about 13.9 cm.

Coordinate terms

• pulgada (¹⁄₆ sesma), coto (³⁄₄ sesma), palmo (1+¹⁄₂ sesmas), pie (2 sesmas), codo (3 sesmas), vara (6 sesmas)

Portuguese

Etymology

Latin [Term?]

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈsez.mɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈsez.mɐ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈseʒ.mɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈsez.ma/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈseʒ.mɐ/

Noun

sesma f (plural sesmas)

1. sixth (one of six equal parts of a whole)

Derived terms

• sesmaria

Further reading

• “sesma”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2024
• “sesma”, in iDicionário Aulete (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2024

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin sexta (“sixth”), altered by analogy with septima (“seventh”). Doublet of sexto and siesta. In related to the unit of length, from forming one-sixth of the vara (Spanish yard or rod).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsesma/ [ˈsez.ma]
• Rhymes: -esma
• Syllabification: ses‧ma

Noun

sesma f (plural sesmas)

1. (historical) sesma, half-foot (a traditional unit of length, equivalent to about 13.9 cm)

   Synonym: jeme

2. (historical) a subdivision of the kingdom of Aragón

Coordinate terms

• (unit of length): pulgada (¹⁄₆ sesma), coto (³⁄₄ sesma), palmo (1+¹⁄₂ sesmas), pie (2 sesmas), codo (3 sesmas), vara (6 sesmas)

Further reading

• “sesmo”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10