Talk:Maltese units of measurement
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[edit] Rounding Policy
This is my personal policy, because I can't find anything more official. I've taken the following conventions:
- Everything is rounded to 4 significant figures.
- The unit used is the largest commonly used unit (within that system of measures) that would result in a number that is greater or equal to one (1.000).
- Thousands are separated by a comma, but only if teh value is greater or equal to ten thousand. Decimal fractions are not separated, either by spaces, commas, or any other punctuation. (but note the next item on precise conversion factors). This formatting convention eases copy and paste of such numbers.
- Precise values are listed either as a vulgar fraction (eg. 1/2) if a simple value can be written, or as a precise decimal value, noting the above convention for thousands and thousandths.
- All approximate conversion factors are preceded by a tilde (~) mark, or the word "approximately" . All precise conversion factors are preceded by an equals sign and space (= ), or the word "exactly". There should be no ambiguity regarding whether or not a value is precise or approximate.
For this document, I have used the modern defintions of the Anglo-American units, even though the legal Maltese definitions were defined relative to older values of the foot (and other such units). Considering these Maltese units were never used for scientific purposes or for extremely large values, that is accurate enough.
revised: Rhialto 00:28, 31 May 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Attestations
This is mostly a note for myself to indicate which sources include which data points.
1921 Act:
- Length: qasba, xiber, pulzier
- Area
-
- Area: modd, tomna, siegh, kejla
- square area: qasba kwadra, xiber kwadra
- Volume
-
- alcohol volume: barmil, garra, kwarta, kartocc, nofs, terz, pinta
- oil/milk volume: qafiz (kaffisi), kwarta, kartocc, nofs, terz, kejla, kwartin
- dry volume: modd (mdied), tomna (tmiem), siegh, kejla, lumin
- cubic volume: qasba kubu, xiber kubu, pulzier kubu
- mass: pezata, qantar (qnatar), wizna, ratal (irtal), uqija (ewieq), kwart, ottav
TY Maltese:
- Length: qasba, xiber, pulzier
- Area
-
- Area: modd, wejba, tomna, siegh, kejla
- square area: qasba kwadra
- Volume
-
- alcohol volume: -
- oil/milk volume: kwarta, kartocc, nofs, terz
- dry volume: -
- cubic volume: qasba kubu, xiber kubu
- mass: qantar, wizna, ratal, uqija
Aquilina:
- Length: qasba, xiber, fitel, pulzier
- Area
-
- Area: modd, wejba, tomna, siegh, kejla
- square area: qasba kwadra
- Volume
-
- alcohol volume: barmil, garra, kwarta, kartocc, nofs, terz
- oil/milk volume: kwarta, kartocc, nofs, terz
- dry volume: lumin, kejla/mondell, siegh, ghabara, tomna, modd/salma
- cubic volume: qasba kubu, xiber kubu
- mass: qantar, wizna, qsima, ratal, kwart, uqija
[edit] Notes on Current usage
These are notes on current usage of these terms for my personal experience. The fact that I have not heard a unit used does not mean it is not. I am essentially a Maltese city boy :-), so the more arcane of these units might still be in use in village cores or by older people.
- pulzier : nowadays this is taken to be equivalent to a British inch. It is very much in common use.
- xiber : Only ever heard it used in idioms. the british foot is nowadays commonly called pied. (apparently there are different "pied", particularly the folding meter ruler used by builders is called "il-pied" even if it is actually 1 metric metre or 1 yard long)
- qasba : Still in common use in relation to construction and Real estate. (not sure how long it actually is in that context)
- tomna : also Still in common use in releation to construction and Real estate. (not sure how long it actually is in that context)
- pinta : is nowadays used to mean a British pint (although bars might serve you with half a litre when you ask for a "pinta lager":-)
- barmil : is used to mean a barrel; as in a barrel of oil. mostly used in news bulettins in reference to the price of oil.
- kejla : while rare this is still used to measure delicacies like capers and other "cottage industry" foodstuffs by some street vendors. What the actual size of the "kejla" is I do not know. the term is also used as a generic reference to the implement used to measure volume, so a 200ml cup measure might also be called "il-kejla".
- uqija : I remember vaguely this being used when I was a kid, but haven't heard it used (outside of the historical context) in many years
- kwart : when buying cheese at the deli counter "kwart" (lit. a quarter) means 200g . so if you want 250g you need to ask for "Kwart ta' kilo". still very much in use.
- ratal : still in use, mainly when buying vegetables, of groceries by weight , not sure how much it is, but I'm assuming around 800gr.
- wiżna : still in use, particularly when buying vegetables. the price of local potatoes when in season is still quotes by the wizna.
- qantar: also in use in relation to agricultural produce bought in bulk, like grapes for wine making.
- Money : many people still use the term xelin (pronounced shelin, lit. shilling) to mean 5 cents, and hames xelini (5 shillings) to mean 25 cents. It will be interesting to see how this usage will change with the introduction of the Euro.
