Alqueire

The Alqueire , also Alqueira or Alquir , was originally a Portuguese measure of volume for dry goods, a so-called grain measure and a wine and oil measure. In the 16th century, the units of volume were redefined in Portugal by the “Law of Almeirim” (“Lei de Almeirim”). Liquids were henceforth measured in almude (from the Arabic al-mudd for liquids) and dry goods with alqueire (from the Arabic al-kail or al-kayl ).

The term Alqueire has stood for a traditional unit for determining a land area since the Middle Ages and found its way to Brazil via Portugal. The unit is still used to measure farmland in Brazil but varies significantly from region to region.

The Alqueire as a measure of volume

The measure was valid in Portugal until 1868 and in Brazil until 1873.

• Lisbon : 1 alqueire = 697 Parisian cubic inches = 13.841 liters
• Madeira : 1 alqueire = 710.556 Parisian cubic inches = 14.095 liters
• Madeira: 1 alqueire = 565 Parisian cubic inches = 11 1/5 liters
• Faro : 1 alqueire = 816 Parisian cubic inches = 16 ⅓ liters
• 60 alqueires = 15 fangas = 1 moyo

The dimensional chain was

• 1 Alqueire = 2 Moyos = 4 Quartos = 8 Selimis = 16 Mequias

As a measure of salt , 2 ⅔ resulted in a raza in Porto

• Measure of salt 1 Madeira Alqueire = 675 Parisian cubic inches = 13 liters
• Wine measure 1 alqueire = 564 Parisian cubic inches = 11 ⅜ liters

In Brazil , the Alqueire was based on different numbers of liters. The measure here was about 2.25 times larger than in Lisbon . For flour , rice and salt it was 30.5 liters to 34.25 liters for an alqueire (Bahia). In Bahia the rice was weighed and 1 alqueire was about 68 pounds. A Hamburg load was calculated to be 234 to 236 Alqueires.

The Alqueire as a land measure

The Alqueire as a land measure differs from region to region. The most important units of area associated with the term in Brazil are:

• Alqueire paulista : This unit of measure, common in the states of São Paulo and Paraná , in Santa Catarina , in the northern part of Rio Grande do Sul, and in the southern region of Mato Grosso, covers 24,200 square meters or 2.42 hectares.
• Alqueire mineiro : This unit of measure is used in the states of Minas Gerais , Espírito Santo , Rio de Janeiro, and Goiás . In the states of Maranhão and Piauí it is called - with the same area - Quadra and covers 48,400 square meters or 4.84 hectares.
• Alqueire baiano : It is common in Bahia and covers 96,800 square meters or 9.68 hectares.
• Alqueire do Norte : It is used in northern Brazil and covers 27,225 square meters or 2.7225 hectares.

See also

• Alqueire

literature

• August Schiebe : Universal Lexicon of Commercial Sciences. Contains the coin, measure and weight. Volume 3, Fleischer / Schumann, Leipzig / Zwickau 1839, p. 84.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ QUANTO PESA O PESO (How much weight) . For the Arabic tradition of this unit of measurement see: Ulrich Rebstock: Weights and Measures in Islam .
2. ↑ Russ Rowlett: How Many? A Dictionary of Units of Measurement . A detailed conversion of Alqueire into liters or square meters can be found on the Alqueire page .
3. ^ Meyer's Large Conversational Lexicon. Volume 1. Leipzig 1905, p. 376.
4. ^ Christian Noback, Friedrich Eduard Noback: Complete paperback of the coin, measure and weight relationships. Volume 1, FA Brockhaus, Leipzig 1851, p. 510.
5. ↑ Moses Heinemann: The well-trained clerk and businessman. Wilhelm Schüppel Verlag, Berlin 1834, p. 242.
6. ^ Christian Noback, Friedrich Eduard Noback: Complete paperback of the coin, measure and weight relationships. Volume 1, FA Brockhaus, Leipzig 1851, p. 1032.
7. ^ Christian Noback , Friedrich Eduard Noback : Complete paperback of the coin, measure and weight relationships. Volume 1, FA Brockhaus, Leipzig 1851, p. 78.
8. ^ Johann Friedrich Krüger : Complete manual of the coins, measures and weights of all countries in the world. Gottfried Basse, Quedlinburg and Leipzig 1830, p. 6.
9. ↑ Leopold Carl Bleibtreu : Handbook of coin, measure and weight, and the bill of exchange, government paper, banking and shares in European and non-European countries and cities. Published by J. Engelhorn, Stuttgart 1863, p. 216.
10. ↑ Alqueire