----- Original Message -----
From: "Miguel Carrasquer" <mcv@...>
To: <Nostratica@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 2:09 AM
Subject: Re: [Nostratica] Russian ar


> <Ar> = 100 m2 = English <are>. From French <are>, of course (metric system).

Before anyone draws far-reaching conclusions about it concerning Nostratic weights and measures, it's perhaps worth adding that it was coined in 1793 by artificially abbreviating Latin <a:rea> ('piece of level ground, building site, courtyard').

Piotr