A "ken" is not a widely recognized unit of measurement in modern systems. However, the term "ken" is more commonly used as a noun or verb in English and has a different meaning.
As a noun, "ken" refers to one's range of sight, perception, or understanding. For example, you might say, "Beyond my ken," to mean something is beyond your understanding or knowledge.
As a verb, "ken" means to understand, perceive, or know. For instance, you might use it in a sentence like, "I cannot ken the complexity of this issue."
In these contexts, "ken" is used to describe one's ability to perceive or comprehend something, rather than a unit of measurement. If you have a specific context in which "ken" is being used as a unit of measurement, please provide more details, and I'll do my best to assist you further.
A "handbreadth" is a unit of length that is approximately equal to the width of an adult human hand, excluding the fingers. It is often used in various historical and cultural contexts as a convenient way to estimate small lengths or distances. The actual measurement of a handbreadth can vary somewhat depending on the size of an individual's hand, but it is typically around 3 to 4 inches (about 7.6 to 10.2 centimeters).
In some historical systems of measurement, particularly in the ancient Near East and the Bible, the handbreadth was used as a standardized unit for measuring length. It was one of the smaller units within a larger system of measurement, often used for small-scale applications like measuring cloth, the dimensions of objects, or architectural details.
While the handbreadth is not a commonly used unit of measurement in modern times, it remains a useful and intuitive way to approximate small lengths informally, especially when a quick estimate is needed.