Ligne
Ligne
Unit of length
The ligne (pronounced [liɲ] ), or line or Paris line,[1] is a historic unit of length used in France and elsewhere prior to the adoption of the metric system in the late 18th century, and used in various sciences after that time.[2][3] The loi du 19 frimaire an VIII (Law of 10 December 1799) states that one metre is equal to exactly 443.296 French lines.[4]
It is vestigially retained today by French and Swiss watchmakers to measure the size of watch casings,[5][lower-alpha 1] in button making and in ribbon manufacture.