Cypriot units of measurement

Last updated

A number of different units of measurement were historically used in Cyprus to measure quantities like length, mass, area and capacity. Before the Metric system, the Imperial system was used. In between 1986-1988, metric system was adopted in Cyprus. [1]

Contents

Units used alongside the Imperial system

A number of units were used alongside the Imperial system.

Length

One pic was equal to 2 feet (0.6096 m). [2] [3] Prior to the adoption of the metric system for units of length in 1986, this was the base unit for length. Other units used were the following:

1 inch = 2.54 cm or 112 foot, 124 pic, or 136 yard

1 foot = 30.48 cm or 12 inches, 12 pic, or 13 yard

1 yard = 0.9144 m or 3 feet, or 1+12 pics

1 chain = 20.1168 m or 66 feet, 33 pics, or 22 yards

1 mile = 1.609344 km or 5280 feet, 2640 pics, 1760 yards, or 80 chains

Area

One donum was equal to 1337.803776 m2 and was divided into 4 evleks, each of them covering 3600 sq. feet or 400 sq. yards; in Imperial units, a donum is equivalent to 40121 acre. The Greek name for donum is σκάλα. [2] [3] Prior to the adoption of the metric system for units of area in 1986, this was the base unit for area. Other units used were the following:

1 square inch = 6.4516 cm2 or 1144 sq. feet

1 square foot = 0.09290304 m2 or 19 sq. yards, or 144 sq. inches

1 square yard = 0.83612736 m2 or 1400 evleks, 11600 donums, or 9 square feet

1 evlek = 334.450944 m2 or 14 donum, 400 square yards, or 3600 square feet

1 square mile = 2.589988110336 km2 or 640 acres, or 1936 donums

Mass

One oke was equal to exactly 2.8 pounds avoirdupois (1.270058636 kg) and was divided into 4 onjas, each of them weighing 100 drams. [2] [3] Prior to the adoption of the metric system for units of mass in 1986, this was the base unit for mass. Other units used were the following: [2] [3]

1 dram = 3.17514659 g or 1400 oke; in Imperial units, it was equivalent to 49 grains

1 Cyprus litre = 2.2861055448 kg or 1+45 okes or 720 drams; in Imperial units, it was equivalent to 5+125 pounds

1 kantar = 55,882579984 kg or 44 okes, or 24+49 Cyprus litres; [2] [3] [4] in Imperial units, it was equivalent to 123+15 pounds

1 Aleppo kantar (used for carobs) = 228.61055448 kg or 180 okes, 100 Cyprus litres, or 1145 kantar; in Imperial units, it was equivalent to 504 pounds

1 ton = 1016,0469088 kg or 800 okes, 444+49 Cyprus litres, 18+211 kantars, or 4+49 Aleppo kantars; in Imperial units, it is equivalent to 20 long cwt or 2240 pounds

Capacity

One kilé was equal to 1 Imperial bushel or 8 gallons, i.e. 36.368735032 L. Prior to the adoption of the metric system for units of capacity in 1986 (1988 for milk), this was the base unit for capacity [2] [3] Other units used (for dry and liquid measures) were the following:

1 pint = 568.261484875 mL or 20 fluid ounces

1 quart = 1.13652296975 L or 2 pints, or 1+325 Cyprus litres

1 Cyprus oke = 1.27290572612 L or 2+625 Cyprus litres

1 Cyprus litre = 3.1822643153 L or 2+12 Cyprus okes, or 2+45 quarts

1 gallon = 4.546091879 L or 4 quarts, or 8 pints (The legal definition of the gallon and derived units in Cyprus was not the same as in the UK; in fact, the 1965 definition was used.)

1 kartos = 5.09162290448 L or 4 Cyprus okes, 1.6 Cyprus litres, or 1+325 gallons

With regard to liquid measures, the following units were also used:

1 kouza = 10.22870672775 L or 2+14 gallons, 9 quarts or 18 pints

1 gomari or load = 163.659307644 L or 16 kouzas, 36 gallons, 144 quarts, or 288 pints (used for grain too [4] ).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gallon</span> Units of volume

The gallon is a unit of volume in British imperial units and United States customary units. Three different versions are in current use:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imperial units</span> System of measurements

The imperial system of units, imperial system or imperial units is the system of units first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act 1824 and continued to be developed through a series of Weights and Measures Acts and amendments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States customary units</span> System of units of measurement commonly used in the United States

United States customary units form a system of measurement units commonly used in the United States and most U.S. territories, since being standardized and adopted in 1832. The United States customary system developed from English units that were in use in the British Empire before the U.S. became an independent country. The United Kingdom's system of measures was overhauled in 1824 to create the imperial system, which was officially adopted in 1826, changing the definitions of some of its units. Consequently, while many U.S. units are essentially similar to their imperial counterparts, there are significant differences between the systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cooking weights and measures</span>

In recipes, quantities of ingredients may be specified by mass, by volume, or by count.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pint</span> Unit of volume in the imperial and US systems

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.

The quart is an English unit of volume equal to a quarter gallon. Three kinds of quarts are currently used: the liquid quart and dry quart of the US customary system and the imperial quart of the British imperial system. All are roughly equal to one liter. It is divided into two pints or four cups. Historically, the exact size of the quart has varied with the different values of gallons over time and in reference to different commodities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fluid ounce</span> Unit of volume in imperial and US customary

A fluid ounce is a unit of volume typically used for measuring liquids. The British Imperial, the United States customary, and the United States food labeling fluid ounce are the only three that are still in common use, although various definitions have been used throughout history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrel (unit)</span> Series of units for volume measurement

A barrel is one of several units of volume applied in various contexts; there are dry barrels, fluid barrels, oil barrels, and so forth. For historical reasons the volumes of some barrel units are roughly double the volumes of others; volumes in common use range approximately from 100 to 200 litres. In many connections the term drum is used almost interchangeably with barrel.

A dunam, also known as a donum or dunum and as the old, Turkish, or Ottoman stremma, was the Ottoman unit of area equivalent to the Greek stremma or English acre, representing the amount of land that could be ploughed by a team of oxen in a day. The legal definition was "forty standard paces in length and breadth", but its actual area varied considerably from place to place, from a little more than 900 square metres (9,700 sq ft) in Ottoman Palestine to around 2,500 square metres (27,000 sq ft) in Iraq.

A system of units of measurement, also known as a system of units or system of measurement, is a collection of units of measurement and rules relating them to each other. Systems of measurement have historically been important, regulated and defined for the purposes of science and commerce. Instances in use include the International System of Units or SI, the British imperial system, and the United States customary system.

The following systems arose from earlier systems, and in many cases utilise parts of much older systems. For the most part they were used to varying degrees in the Middle Ages and surrounding time periods. Some of these systems found their way into later systems, such as the Imperial system and even SI.

English units are the units of measurement used in England up to 1826, which evolved as a combination of the Anglo-Saxon and Roman systems of units. Various standards have applied to English units at different times, in different places, and for different applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metrication in Canada</span> Adoption of the metric system of measurements in Canada

Metrication in Canada began in 1970 and ceased in 1985. Canada is now a functionally metric country in most areas of daily life and in most sectors with some specific exceptions in particular industries and other holdovers of habit. These holdovers are mainly due to historical ties with the United Kingdom, the traditional use of the imperial system of measurement in Canada, proximity to the United States, and strong public opposition to metrication during the transition period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comparison of the imperial and US customary measurement systems</span>

Both the British imperial measurement system and United States customary systems of measurement derive from earlier English unit systems used prior to 1824, that were the result of a combination of the local Anglo-Saxon units inherited from Germanic tribes and Roman units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imperial and US customary measurement systems</span> English (pre 1824), Imperial (post 1824) and US Customary (post 1776) units of measure

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.

The quarter was used as the name of several distinct English units based on ¼ sizes of some base unit.

A number of different units of measurement were used in Argentina as its national system was derived from Spanish Castillian. The metric system was legally optional since 1863 and has been compulsory since 1887.

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.

A number of units of measurement were used in Mexico to measure length, mass, area, capacity, etc. The Metric system was optional from 1857, and has been compulsory since 1896.

A number of units of measurement were used in South Africa to measure quantities like length, mass, capacity, etc. The Imperial system of measurements was made standard in 1922 and the metric system was adopted in 1970.

References

  1. Cardarelli, F. (2003). Encyclopaedia of Scientific Units, Weights and Measures. Their SI Equivalences and Origins. London: Springer. p. 7. ISBN   978-1-4471-1122-1.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Washburn, E.W. (1926). International Critical Tables of Numerical Data, Physics, Chemistry and Technology. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. pp.  5. international critical tables 1926.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cardarelli, F. (2003). Encyclopaedia of Scientific Units, Weights and Measures. Their SI Equivalences and Origins. London: Springer. p. 96. ISBN   978-1-4471-1122-1.
  4. 1 2 Clarke, F.W. (1891). Weights Measures and Money of All Nations. New York: D. Appleton & Company. pp. 25, 26.