Vietnamese units of measurement (Vietnamese: h? ?o l??ng Vi?t Nam) are the largely decimal units of measurement traditionally used in Vietnam until metrication. The base unit of length is the th??c (ch? Nôm: ?; lit. "ruler") or xích (Chinese: ?; pinyin: ch?). Some of the traditional unit names have been repurposed for metric units, such as th??c for the metre, while other traditional names remain in translations of imperial units, such as d?m Anh for the English mile.
Video Vietnamese units of measurement
History
Originally, many th??c of varying lengths were in use in Vietnam, each used for different purposes. According to Hoàng Phê (1988), the traditional system of units had at least two th??c of different lengths before 1890, the th??c ta (lit. "our ruler") or th??c m?c ("wooden ruler"), equal to 0.425 metres (1 ft 4.7 in), and the th??c ?o v?i ("ruler for measuring cloth"), equal to 0.645 metres (2 ft 1.4 in). According to historian Nguy?n ?ình ??u, the tr??ng xích and ?i?n xích were both equal to 0.4664 metres (1 ft 6.36 in), while according to Phan Thanh H?i, there were three main th??c: the th??c ?o v?i, from 0.6 to 0.65 metres (2 ft 0 in to 2 ft 2 in); the th??c ?o ??t ("ruler for measuring land"), at 0.47 metres (1 ft 7 in); and the th??c m?c, from 0.28 to 0.5 metres (11 in to 1 ft 8 in).
With French colonization, Cochinchina converted to the metric system, the French standard, while Annam and Tonkin continued to use a th??c ?o ??t or ?i?n xích equal to 0.47 metres (1 ft 7 in). On June 2, 1897, Indochinese Governor-General Paul Doumer decreed that all the variations of th??c (such as th??c ta, th??c m?c, and ?i?n xích) would be unified at one th??c ta to 0.40 metres (1 ft 4 in), effective January 1, 1898, in Tonkin. Annam retained the old standard for measuring land, so distance and area (such as sào) in Annam were 4.7/4 and (4.7/4)2 times the equivalent units in Tonkin, respectively.
Maps Vietnamese units of measurement
Length
The following table lists common units of length in Vietnam in the early 20th century, according to a United Nations Statistical Commission handbook:
Notes:
- The th??c is also called th??c ta to distinguish it from the metre (th??c tây, lit. "Western ruler"). Other than for measuring length, the th??c is also used for measuring land area (see below).
- According to the UN handbook, some areas unofficially use 1 tr??ng = 4.7 metres (15 ft). According to Hoàng Phê (1988), the tr??ng has two definitions: 10 Chinese chi (about 3.33 m) or 4 th??c m?c (about 1.70 m).
- The t?c is also given as túc. According to the UN handbook, some areas unofficially use 1 t?c = 4.7 centimetres (1.9 in).
Miscellaneous units:
- chai vai
- 1 chai vai = 14.63 metres (48.0 ft)
- d?m
- According to Hoàng Phê (1988), 1 d?m = 444.44 metres (1,458.1 ft). According to V?nh Cao and Nguy?n Ph? (2001), 1 d?m = 1 800 xích (Chinese chi) = 576 metres (1,890 ft)
- lý or lí
- According to V?nh Cao and Nguy?n Ph? (2001), there are two kinds of lý: 1 công lý = 1 km = 3 125 xích, while th? lý is a traditional unit equal to 1 562.55 xích.
- s?i
Area
The following table lists common units of area in Vietnam in the early 20th century, according to the UN handbook:
Notes:
- Annamite units of area were (4.7/4)2 times those of other areas, due to units of length (tr??ng, t?c, etc.) being 4.7/4 times those of other areas, as explained above.
- According to the UN handbook, the phân is also written ph?n.
- The sào is also given as cao. Tonkin and Annam had different definitions of the sào.
Miscellaneous units:
- công or công ??t
- The công, used for surveying forested areas, typically in southwestern Vietnam, was equivalent to 1,000 square metres (11,000 sq ft).
- d?m vuông
- The d?m vuông measures 1 d?m × 1 d?m.
Volume
The following table lists common units of volume in Vietnam in the early 20th century, according to the UN handbook and Thi?u Ch?u:
Additionally:
- 1 ph??ng of husked rice = 13 th?ng or 30 bát (bowls) in 1804
- 1 vuông of husked rice = 604 gr 50
- 1 ph??ng or vuông or commonly gi? = 38.5 litres (8.5 imp gal; 10.2 US gal), though it is sometimes given as 1 ph??ng = ½ h?c or about 30 L
- During French administration, 1 gi? was defined as 40 litres (8.8 imp gal; 11 US gal) for husked rice but only 20 litres (4.4 imp gal; 5.3 US gal) for some other goods. It was commonly used for measuring rice and salt.
- 1 túc = 3 1/3 microlitres (0.00020 cu in)
- 1 uyên = 1 litre (0.22 imp gal; 0.26 US gal)
The following table lists units of volume in use during French administration in Cochinchina:
Notes:
- Unhusked rice was measured in h?c while husked rice was measured in vuông because a h?c of unhusked rice becomes 1 vuông after husking.
- 1 h?c of unhusked rice weighs 1 t?.
Miscellaneous units:
- thùng
- In Cochinchina and Cambodia, 1 thùng (lit. "bucket") = 20 litres (4.4 imp gal; 5.3 US gal). The thùng is also given as tau.
Weight
The following table lists common units of weight in Vietnam in the early 20th century:
Notes:
- The t?n in the context of ship capacity is equal to 2.8317 or 1.1327 cubic metres (100.00 or 40.00 cu ft).
- The cân (lit. "scale") is also called cân ta ("our scale") to distinguish it from the kilogram (cân tây, "Western scale").
- The nén is also given in one source as 375 grams (13.2 oz), but this value conflicts with the l?ng from the same source at 37.8 grams (1.33 oz). The 375-gram value is consistent with the system of units for measuring precious metals.
- The ??ng is also called ??ng cân, to distinguish it from monetary uses.
- The French colonial administration defined some additional units for use in trade: nén = 2 thoi = 10 ?ính = 10 l??ng
Units for measuring precious metals:
- The l?ng, also called cây or l??ng, is equal to 10 ch?. 1 cây = 37.50 grams (1.323 oz)
- 1 ch? = 3.75 grams (0.132 oz)
Miscellaneous units:
- binh
- The binh was equivalent to 69 pounds (31 kg) in Annam.
Time
- canh (?)
- The canh or tr?ng canh is equal to 2 hours (7,200 s).
- gi?
- The gi?, gi? ??ng h?, or ti?ng ??ng h? is equal to 1 hour (3,600 s).
Currency
Traditionally, the basic units of Vietnamese currency were quan (?, quán), ti?n, and ??ng. One quan was 10 ti?n, and one ti?n was between 50 and 100 ??ng, depending on the time period.
- From the reign of Emperor Tr?n Thái Tông onward, 1 ti?n was 69 ??ng in ordinary commercial transactions but 1 ti?n was 70 ??ng for official transactions.
- From the reign of Emperor Lê L?i, 1 ti?n was decreed to be 50 ??ng.
- During the Southern and Northern Dynasties of Vietnam period, beginning in 1528, coins were reduced from 24 millimetres (0.94 in) to 23 millimetres (0.91 in) in diameter and diluted with zinc and iron. The smaller coinage was called ti?n gián or s? ti?n, in contrast to the larger ti?n quý (literally, "valuable cash") or c? ti?n. One quan ti?n quý was equivalent to 600 ??ng, while 1 quan ti?n gián was only 360 ??ng.
- During the Later Lê Dynasty, 1 ti?n was 60 ??ng; therefore, 600 ??ng was 1 quan.
- During the Yuan Dynasty, Vietnamese traders at the border with China used the rate 1 ti?n to 67 ??ng.
- Zinc coins began to appear in Dai Viet during the 18th century. One copper (??ng) coin was worth 3 zinc (k?m) coins.
- Beginning with the reign of Emperor Gia Long, both copper and zinc coins were in use. Originally the two coins had equal value, but eventually a copper coin rose to double the worth of a zinc coin, then triple, then sixfold, until the reign of Emperor Thành Thái, it was worth ten times a zinc coin.
Under French colonial rule, Vietnam used the units hào, xu, chinh, and c?c. After independence, Vietnam used ??ng, hào, và xu, with 1 ??ng equaling 10 hào or 100 xu. After the Vietnam War, chronic inflation caused both subdivisions to fall out of use, leaving ??ng as the only unit of currency. However, Overseas Vietnamese communities continue to use hào and xu to refer to the tenth and hundredth denominations, respectively, of a foreign currency, such as xu for the American cent.
See also
- Heavenly Stems & Earthly Branches
- Units, Systems, & History of measurement
- Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Japanese, Mongolian & Korean units of measurement
References
Source of article : Wikipedia
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