The fathom
A fathom is a nautical unit of measurement equal to 6 feet (1.8288 m), historically used for measuring the depth of water. The word derives, via the Middle English word fathme, from the Old English word fæðm, which is cognate with the Danish word favn, meaning a ‘pair of outstretched arms’. A burial at sea officially requires a minimum of six fathoms of water, probably being the origin of the phrase ‘to deep six’ as meaning to discard, or dispose of something. The phrase is echoed in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, where Ariel tells Ferdinand, ‘Full fathom five thy father lies’, which means his body is lost deep at sea.
