Quintal

Quintal

The quintal is a historical unit of mass that has been used in many countries and is still in use in some regions today. The term originates from the Latin word centenarius, meaning "hundredweight". The quintal has been defined in various ways, depending on the country and the time period.

Historical Definitions

In medieval Europe, the quintal was commonly used and had different values in different regions. For example, in France, the quintal was defined as 100 livres, which is approximately 48.95 kilograms. In Spain, the quintal was equivalent to 100 libras, roughly 46 kilograms.

Modern Usage

In modern times, the quintal is most commonly used in agriculture and trade. The metric quintal, also known as the centner, is defined as 100 kilograms and is used in countries that have adopted the metric system. In some countries, such as Brazil and India, the quintal is still used in its traditional form, equivalent to 100 kilograms.

Regional Variations

• In France, the quintal was historically used as a unit of mass equivalent to 100 livres.
• In Spain, the quintal was equivalent to 100 libras.
• In Portugal, the quintal was also used and had a similar value to the Spanish quintal.
• In India, the quintal is commonly used in agriculture and trade, equivalent to 100 kilograms.

Related Units

The quintal is related to other units of mass such as the tonne, kilogram, and pound. It is part of a family of units that includes the centner and the hundredweight.

See Also

• Kilogram
• Tonne
• Pound (mass)
• Metric system
• Hundredweight
• Centner