Portuguese customary units
The Portuguese customary units were used in Portugal, Brazil and other parts of the Portuguese Empire until the adoption of the Metric System in the 19th century.
In 1814, Portugal was the first country in the world - after France - to officially adopt a metric system. The system then adopted used the Portuguese traditional units designation instead of the original French ones (e.g.: metro = vara, liter = canada and kilogram = libra). However, several difficulties prevented the implementation of the new system and the old Portuguese costumary units continued to be used, both in Portugal and in Brazil (this meanwhile becoming an independent country in 1822).
The metric system was finally adopted by Portugal and the then Portuguese colonies in 1852, this time using the original names of the units. Brazil became the last country to use the Portuguese customary units as its official system, replacing them by the metric system only in 1862.
The length and weight standards of the Portuguese customary units were defined, at national level, in the reign of Manuel I of Portugal in 1495. The others were different from one region to the other, but were similar to those established to Lisbon.
Route units
| Portuguese name | English name | Subdivides in | Equivalence in Léguas de 20 ao grau |
Metrical equivalence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Légua de 18 ao grau | League of 18 to the degree | 6173 m | ||
| Légua de 20 ao grau | League of 20 to the degree | 3 milhas geográficas | 1 | 5555 m |
| Milha geográfica | Geographical mile | 1/3 | 1851 m |
Length units
| Portuguese name | English name | Subdivides in | Equivalence in Varas | Metrical equivalence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braça | Fathom | 2 varas | 2 | 2,2 m |
| Toesa | Toise | 6 pés | 14⁄5 | 1,98 m |
| Passo geométrico | Geometrical pace | 5 pés | 11⁄2 | 1,65 m |
| Vara | Yard | 5 palmos | 1 | 1,1 m |
| Côvado | Cubit | 3 palmos | 3/5 | 0,66 m |
| Pé | Foot | 12 polegadas | 3/10 | 0,33 m |
| Palmo de craveira | Span | 8 polegadas | 1/5 | 0,22 m |
| Polegada | Inch | 12 linhas | 1/40 | 27,5 mm |
| Linha | Line | 12 pontos | 1/480 | 2,29 mm |
| Ponto | Point | 1/5760 | 0,19 mm |
Weight units
| Portuguese name | English name | Subdivides in | Equivalence in Arratéis | Metrical equivalence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tonelada | Tonne | 13,5 quintais | 1728 | 793,152 kg |
| Quintal | Hundredweight | 4 arrobas | 128 | 58,752 kg |
| Arroba | Arroba | 32 arratéis | 32 | 14,688 kg |
| Arratel (1) | Pound | 4 quartas | 1 | 0,459 kg |
| Quarta | Fourth | 4 onças | 1/4 | 0,11475 kg |
| Onça | Ounce | 8 oitavas | 1/16 | 28,6875 g |
| Oitava | Eight | 3 escrópulos | 1/128 | 3,5859 g |
| Escrópulo | Scruple | 24 grãos | 1/384 | 1,1953 g |
| Grão | Grain | 1/9216 | 0,0498 g |
(1) Also referred as libra (pound).
Liquid volume units (for Lisbon)
| Portuguese name | English name | Subdivides in | Equivalence in canadas | Metric equivalence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tonel | Cask | 2 pipas | 600 | 840 l |
| Pipa | Barrel | 25 almudes | 300 | 420 l |
| Almude (1) | 2 potes | 12 | 16,8 l | |
| Pote | Pot | 6 canadas | 6 | 8,4 l |
| Canada | 4 quartilhos | 1 | 1,4 l | |
| Quartilho | Pint | 21⁄2 quartilhos | 1/4 | 0,35 l |
| 1/2 Quartilho | 1/2 Pint | 21⁄4 quartilhos | 1/8 | 0,175 l |
| 1/4 Quartilho | 1/4 Pint | 1/16 | 0,0875 l |
(1) Also known as cântaro.
See also
References
- Paixão, Fátima & Jorge, Fátima Regina (2006) «Success and constraints in the adoption of the metric system in Portugal», The Global and the Local: The History of Science and the Cultural Integration of Europe. Proceedings of the 2nd ICESHS (Cracow, Poland 6-9, 2006).
- Monteverde, Emilio Achilles (1861) Manual Encyclopedico para Uzo das Escolas de Instrucção Primaria, Lisboa: Imprensa Nacional.
- (2002) Dicionário Enciclopédico Lello Universal, Porto: Lello & Irmão.
- Barroca, M.J. (1992) «Medidas-Padrão Medievais Portuguesas», Revista da Faculdade de Letras. História, 2ªa Série, vol. 9, Porto, pp. 53–85.
- Seabra Lopes, L. (2003) «Sistemas Legais de Medidas de Peso e Capacidade, do Condado Portucalense ao Século XVI», Portugalia, Nova Série, XXIV, Faculdade de Letras, Porto, p. 113-164.
- Seabra Lopes, L. (2005) «A Cultura da Medição em Portugal ao Longo da História», Educação e Matemática, nº 84, Setembro-Outubro de 2005, p. 42-48.
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