"Alex Chaihorsky" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
> I found another surprisingly good and full explanation of tael. It also
> shows the character (same as Liang - "two or pair" in contemporary
> mandarin).
> http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Tael
>
> I knew it was different in different parts of China, and there are several
> variaties of it.
> So, basically tael is a Chinese ounce. But 37.5 is what is used in Chinese
> pharmacies and teashops today.
>
> Sasha.

I just would like to add something to the very informative contents of the
nationmaster encyclopedia.

The English word "tael" seems to come from Malay weight unit "tahil", maybe
from Hindy "tolaa", and was adopted also for calling the "liang" used by
Chinese traders.

The value of a "liang" in China underwent many changes in the course of
time. It was 1/16 of a "jin". In the Ming dynasty it was 36.9 grams, in the
Qing it was 37.3 g. With the first republic it was 31.25 g.

In the P. R. of China in 1959 they modified the rate between "jin" and
"liang", changing the name in "shijin" (market jin) and "shiliang" (market
liang), with 1 shijin (500 g) = 10 shiliang. In continentali China the word
"liang" is still commonly used with meaning of "shiliang", corresponding to
50 g.

In Taiwan the "jin" is 600 g, and the "liang" is still 1/16 of 1
"jin", corresponding to 37.5 g. While "jin" is TW still commonly
used, "liang" is used only for gold and medicines.