Tamil units of measurement

Tamil units of measurement

Measurements in ancient Tamil land were of seven kinds. They were number counts, balance weights, fluid volumes, grain volumes, length, time and likeness.

Units of time in ancient Tamil history

*1 kuzhi(kuRRuzhi)= 6.66 millisecond-the time taken by the Pleiades stars("aRumin") to glitter once.
*12(base 8) or 10 kuzhigaL= 1 miy= 66.6666 millisecond-the time taken by the young human eyes to flap once.
*2 kaNNimaigaL= 1 kainodi= 0.125 second
*2 kainodi= 1 maatthirai= 0.25 second
*6(base 8) or 6 miygaL= 1 siRRuzhi(nodi)= 0.40 second-the time taken for a bubble (created by blowing air through a bamboo tube into a vessel 1 saaN high, full of water) to travel a distance of one saaN .
*2 maatthiraigaL= 1 kuru= 0.50 second
*2(base 8) or 2 nodigaL= 1 vinaadi= 0.80 second-the time for the adult human heart to beat once
*2 1/2 nodigaL= 2 kuru= 1 uyir= 1 second
*5 nodigaL= 2 uyir= 1 saNigam= 1/2 aNu= 2 seconds
*12(base 8) or 10 nodigaL= 1 aNu= 4 seconds
*6(base 8) or 6 aNukkaL= 12 saNigam= 1 thuLi= 1 naazhigai-vinaadi= 24 seconds
*12(base 8) or 10 thuLigaL= 1 kaNam= 4 minutes
*6(base 8) or 6 kaNangaL= 1 naazhigai= 24 minutes
*12(base 8) or 10 naazhigaigaL= 4 saamam= 1 siRupozhuthu= 240 minutes= 4 hours
*6(base 8) or 6 siRu-pozhuthugaL= 1 naaL(1 day)= 24 hours
*7 naaTkaL= 1 kizhamai(1 week)
*15 naaTkaL= 1 azhuvam(1 fortnight )
*29.5 naaTkaL= 1 thingaL(1 lunar month)
*2 thingaL= 1 perum-pozhuthu(1 season)
*6 perum-pozhuthugaL= 1 AaNdu(1 year)
*60 aaNdugaL= 1 vattam(1 cycle)
*3600(=10*6*10*6) AaNdugaL= 1 Oozhi(1 epoch)

Area Measurement

*1 Marakkal vaedaipadu (seed required for planting rice) = 8 cents
*12.5 Marakkal vaedaipadu = 100 cents (one acre)

Units of ancient trade

Balance weights

Gold weights

*4 nel edai= 1 kunRimaNi
*2 kunRimaNi= 1 manjaadi
*1 manjaadi= 1 paNavedai
*5 paNavedai= 1 kazhanju
*8 paNavedai= 1 varaaganedai
*20 paNavedai= 4 kazhanju = 1 kaqhsu
*80 paNavedai= 16 kazhanju= 4 kaqhsu= 1 palam.
*1.5 Kazhanji = 8 gram or one pown

Goods weights

*32 kunRimaNi= 1 varaaganedai
*10 varaaganedai= 1 palam
*40 palam= 1 veesai
*1000 palam =1 kaa
*6 veesai= 1 thulaam
*8 veesai= 1 maNangu
*20 maNangu= 1 paaram.

Grain volume

*1 kuNam= smallest unit of volume
*9 kuNam= 1 mummi
*11 mummi= 1 aNu
*7 aNu=1 immi
*7 immi= 1 uminel
*1 sittigai= 7 uminel
*360 nel= 1 sevidu
*5 sevidu= 1 aazhaakku
*2 aazhaakku= 1 uzhakku
*2 uzhakku= 1 uri
*2 uri= 1 padi
*8 padi= 1 marakkaal(kuRuNi)
*2 marakkaal(kuRuNi)= 1 padhakku
*2 padhakku= 1 thooNi
*5 marakkaal= 1 paRai
*80 paRai= 1 karisai
*96 padi= 1 kalam
*120 padi= 1 pothi(mootai)
*21 marakkal = 1 Kottai

A "padi", = 1800 "avarai" pods = 12,800 "miLagu" seeds = 14,400 "nel" grains = 14,800 "payaRu" grains = 38,000 "arisi" grains = 115,200 "sesame" seeds

Fluid volume

*5 sevidu= 1 aazhaakku
*2 mahani = 1 aazhakku (arai kal padi)
*2 aazhaakku= 1 uzhakku (Kal padi)
*2 uzhakku= 1 uri (Arai padi)
*2 uri= 1 padi
*8 padi= 1 marakkaal
*2 marakkaal(kuRuNi)= 1 padhakku
*2 padhakku= 1 thooNi
*21 Marakkal = 1 Kottai

Length

*10 koaN= 1 nuNNaNu
*10 nuNNaNU= 1 aNu
*8 aNu= 1 kathirtthugaL
*8 kathirtthugaL= 1 thusumbu
*8 thusumbu= 1 mayirnuni
*8 mayirnuni= 1 nuNmaNal
*8 nuNmaNal= 1 siRu-kadugu
*8 siRu-kadugu= 1 eL
*8 eL= 1 nel
*8 nel= 1 viral
*12 viral= 1 saaN= 100 immi= 23.3333 centimetre
*2 saaN= 1 muzham= 46.6666 centimetre
*2 muzham= 1 kajam
*4 muzham= 1 paagam
*6000 paagam= 1 kaadham= 5000 saaN= 1166.66 metres= 1.1167 kilometre

Likeness ("Saartthal")

Likeness has attributes of tone, sound, colour and shape for comparison of a given substance with a known standard.

Whole numbers

*1= onRu
*10= patthu
*100= nooRu
*1000= aayiram
*10,000= pathinaayiram
*100,000= nooRaayiram
*1000,000= meiyiram
*10^9= thoLLunn
*10^12= eegiyam
*10^15= neLai
*10^18= iLanji
*10^20= veLLam
*10^21= aambal

Fractions

*1= onRu
*3/4= mukkaal
*1/2= arai
*1/4= kaal
*1/5= naalumaa
*3/16= moonRu veesam
*3/20= moonRumaa
*1/8= araikkaal
*1/10= irumaa
*1/16= maakaaNi (veesam)
*1/20= orumaa
*3/64= mukkaal veesam
*3/80= mukkaaN
*1/32= araiveesam
*1/40 araimaa
*1/64= kaal veesam
*1/80= kaaNi
*3/320= araikkaaNi munthiri
*1/160= araikkaaNi
*1/320= munthiri
*1/102400= keezh munthiri
*1/2150400= immi
*1/2,3654400= mummi
*1/16,5580800= aNu
*1/149,0227200= kuNam
*1/745,1136000= pantham
*1/4470,6816000= paagam
*1/31294,7712000= vintham
*1/532011,1104000= naagavintham
*1/7448155,5456000= sinthai
*1/14,8963110,9120000= kathirmunai
*1/595,8524436,4800000= kuralvaLaippidi
*1/35751,1466188,8000000= veLLam
*1/3575114,6618880,0000000= nuNNmaNl
*1/2,3238245,3022720,0000000= thaertthugaL

Currency

*1 pal(wooden discs/sea shellots)= ("approximately") 0.9 grain
*8 (or 10 base 8) paRkaL =1 senkaaNi (copper/bronze) = 7.2 grains("misinterpretted by Roman accounts as 10 base 10=9 grains")
*1/4 senkaaNi =1 kaalkaaNi (copper) =1.8 grains("misinterpretted by Roman accounts as 2.25 grains")
*64 (or 100 base 8) paRkaL = 1 KaaNap-pon "a.k.a." Kaasu panam(gold) = 57.6 grains
*1 Roman dinarium was traded on par with 2 KaaNappon plus 1 SenkaaNi(=124 grains).

References

[http://www.ponniyinselvan.in/articles-f6/tamil-measurements-t26435.html Tamil Measurements]

Currency:

16 Ana = 1 Rupee1 Ana = 3 Thuttu1/4 Ana = 3/4 (mukkal) thuttu


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