Taako

Taako is a Somali word with more than one meaning. The two most common are (1) heel—the back part of the foot or the raised back part of women's shoes, and (2) a customary unit of length measured as the span of the hand from thumb to little finger when spread open.

Words with multiple meanings of this kind are common in spoken languages, especially when one meaning derives from a body-based measurement. Which meaning is intended depends on context and setting: in clothing and shoe markets, or in stories about measuring and estimation.

Taako as heel

When referring to shoes, taako denotes the raised back part of the foot that provides support. High-heeled shoes alter the body's posture and transfer weight to the ball of the foot. In Somali markets and everyday speech, the phrase "high-heeled shoe" is common.

Taako as a unit of measurement

Pastoral and farming communities used body-based measurements: taako, dhudhun (elbow-to-fingertip), and tallaabo (pace). Taako is the distance from thumb to little finger when the hand is spread open. These measurements are variable, since people's hands differ in size, so they were used only for rough estimation.

Present-day use

International units of measurement—meter and centimeter—have replaced taako in formal commerce and documentation. The word persists, however, in household speech, describing clothing, and rough measurement when no tool is at hand.