In physical descriptions, you may come across the terms el, palm, duim, and streep. You may see these in military records, prison records, or other types of registers that recorded the person’s height.
The English translations are:
- El (abbreviation: e.) – ell
- Palm (p.) – palm
- Duim (d.) – inch
- Streep (str.) – line.
How much is meant by these depends on the date of the record. Before 1816, measures were not standardized, and different regions used different measures. See the article how to convert old measures and weights for details.
In 1816, a new law adopted the metric system. The older terms remained in use. As of 1820, 1 el was 1 meter, 1 palm was 0.1 meter or 10 centimeter, 1 duim was 0.01 meter or 1 centimeter, and 1 streep was 0.001 meter or 1 millimeter.
Example: Gerrit Kempers and Jan Derk Piek

First part of military service recodrs of Gerrit Kempers and Jan Derk Piek, 1849.
In this example we see the first columns of the military service records of Gerrit Kempers and Jan Derk Piek, who served as conscripted soldiers in the 7th Infantry Regiment from 1849 until 1854. Gerrit Kempers’s entry lists his height as 1 el, 5 palmen, 7 duimen, 3 strepen, indicating a height of 1.573 meters (5’2). My ancestor Jan Derk Piek was 1 el, 5 palmen 9 duimen and [blank] strepen, 1.59 m (5’2.5).