I came across and read Lincoln’s address, and it started with “Four score and seven years ago.” From the context clue, it’s clear that it’s a measure of time. But how long is a score?
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I came across and read Lincoln’s address, and it started with “Four score and seven years ago.” From the context clue, it’s clear that it’s a measure of time. But how long is a score?
Score came from the Old English term “scoru,” meaning “twenty” – and there’s your answer 😀
Score is equal to 2 decades or 20 years.
The English term “score” originated from the Norse word Old Norse term “skor,” meaning a notch, mark, or incision or cuts made on a stick. The stick is usually packed with 20 cuts, and it is used to keep a tally.
It may have also originated from the Proto-Germanic term “skur,” meaning to cut. It is also a term for counting up to 20. They used it to count sheep by 20. They’d “score” on a stick for every 20 sheep counted.