noun, noun, used as a suffix, counter
hand-span unit (approx. 18 cm)
Archaic unit of length based on the distance between the tip of the thumb and the tip of the middle finger when stretched apart. Used historically as a suffix or counter, e.g., 一咫 (ひとあた).
The unit of length 'ひとあた' appears in old documents.
An ata is the distance between the outstretched thumb and middle finger, about 18 centimeters.
尺 (しゃく) is a more common traditional unit of length, approximately 30.3 cm, still used in some contexts like carpentry. 咫 (あた) is a much rarer, archaic unit about 18 cm.
寸 (すん) is another traditional unit, about 3.03 cm, often used in idiomatic expressions. 咫 is less common and refers to a hand-span.
eight ata (approx. 144 cm) · large; long
Archaic kanji for the traditional hand-span unit; rarely used in modern Japanese.
Kana spelling for the archaic unit; useful for learners encountering the term in historical contexts.
Alternate kanji form, also archaic; 尺 more commonly read as しゃく (approx. 30.3 cm).
The word あた is of native Japanese origin, referring to the span of a hand. The kanji 咫 is a Chinese character adopted for this meaning. The alternate reading た is a bound form used in compounds.