Malay units of measurement
Units of measurement used in Malaysia and neighbouring countries include the kati, a unit of mass,Relong (Northern Malaysia) and the gantang, a unit of volume.
Mass
In measuring amount by mass, the common unit is kati,[1] which is about 1 1⁄3 lb (604.79 g).[2] A higher unit is pikul or picul, which is 100 kati or 133.333 pounds (60.479 kg).[3]
Volume
In measuring amount by volume, the common unit is gantang, which is equivalent to an Imperial gallon (4.55 L).[4] A gantang can be divided into four chupak.[5] Chupak can be further divided into four chentong, and two chentong makes up a leng.
Chentong is also normally used only in certain areas, and so eight leng makes up a chupak.
When used to measure unhusked rice, a gantang weights about 4 to 5 lb (1.8 to 2.3 kg).
References
- ↑ "Kati" entry at A Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English.
- ↑ "Weights and Measures Act 1972". Laws of Malaysia.
- ↑ 新华字典 (Xīnhuá Zìdiǎn), Peking, 1984.
- ↑ "Gantang", sizes.com, Sizes Inc.
- ↑ http://sizes.com/units/chupak.htm "Chupak"], sizes.com, Sizes Inc.
Further reading
- Malay Fishermen : Their Peasant Economy, by Raymond Firth. Norton (1975) ISBN 0-393-00775-8