Tamil Units of Measurements (அளவீட்டு தமிழ் அலகுகள்)

"தமிழ் வழி கல்வி"

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Tamil Units of Measurements

(அளவீட்டு தமிழ் அலகுகள்)

Tamil Measuring Units

Measurements in ancient Tamil land were of seven kinds.

They were number counts, balance weights, fluid volumes, grain volumes, length, time and the likeness. Ancient tamils were used only mind-calculation for their daily necessaries. Their life is mixed up with calculation for everything. They have enough tables of units for all kind such as weighing, counting, measuring, etc.,. which is similar to the Indus Valley Civilization. They have fractional tables which includes divisor of 2, 5, 8 & etc.,.

The Tamil peoples are using still their basic unit of distance measurement called muzham to measure the length of jasmine garland. Ancient tamils also used muzhakkuchi (scale/tape) which is the basic measuring instrument to build a temple or other building. One of the temple which used muzhakkuchi is Tanjore Big Temple from Tamil Nadu, India.

UNITS OF TIME IN ANCIENT TAMIL HISTORY

1 kuzhi(kuRRuzhi) = குழி (குற்றுழி)= 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 (கண்ணிமைகள்)= 1 kainodi (கைநொடி)= 0.125 second

2 kainodi= 1 maatthirai (மாத்திரை) = 0.25 second

6(base 8) or 6 miygaL= 1 siRRuzhi(nodi) சிற்றுழி (நொடி)= 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 (சாண்).

2 maatthiraigaL= 1 kuru (குறு) = 0.50 second

2(base 8) or 2 nodigaL= 1 vinaadi வினாடி = 0.80 second-the time for the adult human heart to beat once

21⁄2 nodigaL= 2 kuru= 1 uyir உயிர் = 1 second

5 nodigaL= 2 uyir= 1 saNigam சாணிகம் = 1/2 aNu அணு = 2 seconds

12(base 8) or 10 nodigaL= 1 aNu= 4 seconds

6(base 8) or 6 aNukkaL= 12 saNigam= 1 thuLi துளி = 1 naazhigai-vinaadi நாழிகை வினாடி = 24 seconds

12(base 8) or 10 thuLigaL= 1 kaNam கணம் = 4 minutes

6(base 8) or 6 kaNangaL= 1 naazhigai= 24 minutes

12(base 8) or 10 naazhigaigaL= 4 saamam சாமம் = 1 siRupozhuthu சிறுபொழுது = 240 minutes= 4 hours

6(base 8) or 6 siRu-pozhuthugaL= 1 naaL நாள் (1 day)= 24 hours

7 naaTkaL= 1 kizhamai கிழமை (1 week)

15 naaTkaL= 1 azhuvam அழுவம் (1 fortnight )

29.5 naaTkaL= 1 thingaL திங்கள் (1 lunar month)

2 thingaL= 1 perum-pozhuthu பெரும்பொழுது (1 season)

6 perum-pozhuthugaL= 1 AaNdu ஆண்டு (1 year)

64 aaNdugaL= 1 vattam வட்டம் (1 cycle)

4096(=8^4) AaNdugaL= 1 Oozhi ஊழி (1 epoch)

AREA MEASUREMENT

1 Marakkal vaedaipadu (seeds required for planting rice) = 8 cents

12.5 Marakkal vaedaipadu = 100 cents (one acre)

Area calculation and Measurement Chart

1 hectare = 2 acre 47 cent

1 hectare = 10,000 sq.m.

1 acre = 0.405 hectare

1 acre = 4046.82 sq.m.

1 acre = 43,560 sq.ft.

1 acre = 100 cent = 4840 sq.gejam

1 cent = 435.6 sq.ft.

1 cent = 40.5 sq.m

1 ground = 222.96 sq.m. = 5.5 cent

1 ground = 2400 sq.ft.

1 kuzhi = 10x10 ft. (although some say that 1 kuzhi is approximately equal to 12x12 ft. i.e., 144 sq.ft.)

1 Mā = 100 kuzhi = 10000 sq.ft.

1 Kāni = 4 Mā = 40000 sq.ft.

1 kāni = 92 cents = 0.92 acre

1 kāni = 400 kuzhi = 40000 sq.ft.

1 acre = 436 kuzhi

1 Veļi = 7 kāni = 6.43 acres = 2.6 hectares

1 dismil =2.5 cent

1 furlong = 660 feet = 220 kejam

1 kilometre = 5 furlong

1 link / chain = 0.66 foot = 7.92 inch

1 kejam = 9.075 sq.ft.

1 mile = 8 furlong

1 ares = 1076 sq.ft. = 2.47 cent

1 chain = 22 kejam

1 furlong = 10 chain

1 kejam = 0.9144 metre

1 township = 36 sq.mile

1 sq.mile = 640 acre

1 cent = 48 kejam

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

22 maakaani = 100 gms

1 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(atom)

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= 8^8 aNu(atom)= 1.9444 centimetre

12 viral= 1 saaN= 100 immi= 23.3333 centimetre

2 saaN= 1 muzham= 46.6666 centimetre

2 muzham= 1 kajam

4 muzham= 1 paagam

625 paagam= 1 kaadham= 5000 saaN= 1166.66 metres= 1.167 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= pathaayiram

100,000= nooRaayiram

1000,000= meiyiram

10^9= thoLLunn

10^12= eegiyam

10^15= neLai

10^18= iLanji

10^20= veLLam

10^21= aambal

Tamil texts elaborate the following version:

1 = ONDRU -one

10 = PATHU -ten

100 = NOORU-hundred

1,000 = AAYIRAM-thousand

10,000 = PATHAAYIRAM -ten thousand

100,000 = LATCHAM-hundred thousand

1,000,000 = PATHU LATCHAM - one million

10,000,000 = KODI-ten million

100,000,000 = ARPUTHAM-hundred million

1,000,000,000 = NIGARPUTHAM- one billion

10,000,000,000 = KUMBAM-ten billion

100,000,000,000 = KANAM-hundred billion

1,000,000,000,000 = KARPAM-one trillion

10,000,000,000,000 = NIKARPAM -ten trillion

100,000,000,000,000 = PATHUMAM -hundred trillion

1,000,000,000,000,000 = SANGGAM -quadrillion

10,000,000,000,000,000 = VELLAM -ten quadrillion

100,000,000,000,000,000 = ANNIYAM -

1,000,000,000,000,000,000 = ARTTAM -

10,000,000,000,000,000,000 = PARARTTAM -

100,000,000,000,000,000,000 = POORIYAM -

1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 = MUKKODI -

10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 = MAHAYUGAM -

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

1/102,400= keezh munthiri

1/2,150,400= immi

1/23,654,400= mummi

1/165,580,800= aNu

1/1,490,227,200= kuNam

1/7,451,136,000= pantham

1/44,706,816,000= paagam

1/312,947,712,000= vintham

1/5,320,111,104,000= naagavintham

1/74,481,555,456,000= sinthai

1/1,489,631,109,120,000= kathirmunai

1/59,585,244,364,800,000= kuralvaLaippidi

1/3,575,114,661,888,000,000= veLLam

1/357,511,466,188,800,000,000= nuNNmaNl

1/2,323,824,530,227,200,000,000= 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 paRkal =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).

18 Ana = 2.5 Rupee, 16 Ana = 1 Rupee, 1 Ana = 3 Thuttu, 1/4 Ana = 3/4 (mukkal) thuttu

****You can read this and all other articles Tanil and in 108 world languages by clicking the translate options on the left side 3 dots at the home page of our website.