A number of different units of measurement have been used in Ethiopia. The values of most of these units are not well defined. [2] In 1963, Ethiopia adopted the metric system. [3]
A number of different units of measurement have been used in Ethiopia. The values of most of these units are not well defined. [2] In 1963, Ethiopia adopted the metric system. [3]
These units have also been referred to as Abyssinian units of measurements.
Different units were used to measure length. [2] [3]
1 pic = 0.686 metres
1 farsang = 5070 m
1 berri = 1⁄3 farsang (approx. 3 pics)
A number of units were used to measure mass. One rotto is approximately equal to 0.311 kilograms. Some other units are provided below. [2] [3]
1 drachm = 1⁄120 rotto
1 derime = 1⁄120 rotto
1 wakea (ounce) = 1⁄12 rotto
1 mocha = 1⁄10 rotto
Two types of measuring system were used, one for dry measures and one for liquid measures.
Different units were used to measure dry capacities. One madega is approximately equal to 0.44 litres. [2] [3]
1 ardeb = 10 or 24 madega (these may sometimes be referred to as either the long ardeb, equal to 24 madega, or the short ardeb, equal to 10 madega) [3]
The kuba(kubaya)pronounced in Ethiopia is approximately equal to 1.016 litres. [2]
More than 70 different units are used in an ordinary household. Some of the more important units used are kilograms, kunna, medeb, esir, bobo, pieces, litres, tassa, kubaya, birchiko, sini, bottles, guchiye, sahen and weket. [4]
Details for some of the common units of measurements are given below: [5]
(Note: Most of the above are actual household items, such as tassa translating to can, and sini mainly being used for serving coffee, not measuring coffee or any other substances.)
Density is a substance's mass per unit of volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ, although the Latin letter D can also be used. Mathematically, density is defined as mass divided by volume:
The kilogram is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI), having the unit symbol kg. It is a widely used measure in science, engineering and commerce worldwide, and is often simply called a kilo colloquially. It means 'one thousand grams'.
The litre or liter is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metres (m3). A cubic decimetre occupies a volume of 10 cm × 10 cm × 10 cm and is thus equal to one-thousandth of a cubic metre.
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in both the British imperial and United States customary systems of measurement. Various definitions have been used; the most common today is the international avoirdupois pound, which is legally defined as exactly 0.45359237 kilograms, and which is divided into 16 avoirdupois ounces. The international standard symbol for the avoirdupois pound is lb; an alternative symbol is lbm, #, and ℔ or ″̶.
A metric prefix is a unit prefix that precedes a basic unit of measure to indicate a multiple or submultiple of the unit. All metric prefixes used today are decadic. Each prefix has a unique symbol that is prepended to any unit symbol. The prefix kilo-, for example, may be added to gram to indicate multiplication by one thousand: one kilogram is equal to one thousand grams. The prefix milli-, likewise, may be added to metre to indicate division by one thousand; one millimetre is equal to one thousandth of a metre.
Ton is any of several units of measure of mass, volume or force. It has a long history and has acquired several meanings and uses.
In recipes, quantities of ingredients may be specified by mass, by volume, or by count.
The gram is a unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI) equal to one thousandth of a kilogram.
The ounce is any of several different units of mass, weight, or volume and is derived almost unchanged from the uncia, an Ancient Roman unit of measurement.
The pint is a unit of volume or capacity in both the imperial and United States customary measurement systems. In both of those systems it is traditionally one eighth of a gallon. The British imperial pint is about 20% larger than the American pint because the two systems are defined differently. Almost all other countries have standardized on the metric system, so although some of them still also have traditional units called pints, the volume varies by regional custom.
A bushel is an imperial and US customary unit of volume based upon an earlier measure of dry capacity. The old bushel is equal to 2 kennings (obsolete), 4 pecks, or 8 dry gallons, and was used mostly for agricultural products, such as wheat. In modern usage, the volume is nominal, with bushels denoting a mass defined differently for each commodity.
An official system of weights and measures was established in the ancient Persian Empire under the Achaemenid dynasty. The shekel and mina were units of both weight and volume. A shekel or mina weight was equal to the weight of that volume of water. The talent was a measure of weight used for large amounts of coinage. Some related units were used in Persia in the 19th century, and are still used in contemporary Iran.
France has a unique history of units of measurement due to its radical decision to invent and adopt the metric system after the French Revolution.
The cup is a cooking measure of volume, commonly associated with cooking and serving sizes. In the US, it is traditionally equal to one-half US pint (236.6 ml). Because actual drinking cups may differ greatly from the size of this unit, standard measuring cups may be used, with a metric cup being 250 millilitres.
The grave, abbreviated gv, is the unit of mass used in the first metric system which was implemented in France in 1793. In 1795, the grave was renamed as the kilogram.
In common usage, the mass of an object is often referred to as its weight, though these are in fact different concepts and quantities. Nevertheless, one object will always weigh more than another with less mass if both are subject to the same gravity.
The imperial and US customary measurement systems are both derived from an earlier English system of measurement which in turn can be traced back to Ancient Roman units of measurement, and Carolingian and Saxon units of measure.
A number of units of measurement were used in Egypt to measure length, mass, area, capacity, etc. In Egypt, the metric system was made optional in 1873 and has been compulsory in government use since 1891.
Since ancient times, traditional mathematics in Ethiopia have related to various aspects of astrology, the calendar, and measurements of physical properties such as length, weight, and distance. Ethiopians used alternate units of measurement which differ from fundamental law; traditionally, scaling and counting values have been described using draft animals such as goats, mules, sheep, or camels, and in modern times, steelyards.