Single Hanzi 漢字 Characters for Imperial and Metric Measurements

[Xi'Er Dun]

Dear Forum Reader,

Can someone tell me more information about single Hanzi 漢字 Characters that can or were once used to represent Western Imperial and Metric Measurements, like for 噸 for ton, 哩 for mile, 吋 for inch, 碼 for yard, and more like for seldom used or taught of metric measurements like for hecto-, deci-, deca-, grams, metres(米), litres(立) etc. Like what is "qianwa 瓩" and what are the stories for Characters with the "ke 克"or "gram"radical and "wa 瓦" or "tile" radical , that are rarely seen? If someone can add more single characters used for measurements to my list and explain the history and past or rare usage of these such characters, that would be helpful. However I really doubt anyone on this for can explain this topic, so I don't expect too much as it's quite obscure.

Thankyou

濠洲人

Hojusaram

[monto]

Too many of them

瓦 = 瓦特，basic unit for power, transliteration of Watt, a famous physician,

伏 = 伏特，basic unit for electric voltage, transliteration of Volt, a famous physician,

安 = 安培，basic unit for electric current, transliteration of Ampere, a famous physician,

牛 = 牛顿，basic unit for force, transliteration of Newton, a famous physician

[Wu Yan]

This is a interesting thread.

[roddy]

John at Sinosplice wrote up an article about them, which is the only time I've ever seen them covered. The interesting thing about these is that they have two-syllable pronunciations.

[skylee]

saram ... korean ...

[skylee]

litres(立)

But litre is 升/公升 afaik.

This table might be helpful -> http://www.legislation.gov.hk/BLIS_IND.nsf/FB2D3FD8A4E2A3264825647C0030A9E1/7A87923654646266482564AF000FABF8?OpenDocument

Most of such terms are transliteration. Dozen is 打, etc.

[Xi'Er Dun]

Thanks Forum Readers,

Yes, Thankyou for you links to those very interesting pages, I must say the topic of Hanzi 漢字　with two syllable readings is quite contradictory to the rules of one syllabe to a Hanzi Character, the concept of multisyllabic readings for Hanzi 漢字 is definately more of a Japanese phenomenon. As China PRC uses the metric system now days, did they and Japan (where I know these measurement characters were once used) once both at one time use the Imperial system? Myabe it is possible that these characters for imperial and some metric measurements were created in Japan as Kokuji 國字and these British Imperial Measurement concepts came via Japan from the West. Most of these measurement characters are not found in the standard basic Chinese Character Set like GB, but are available in Big5 and GBK. I also gather that these characters with two syllable readings are fairly recently created characters like those used for the known elements of the periodic table, which I think would also be an interesting thread to start in the section of the forum. These characters are found in the GB Chinese Character Set, (but do Chinese Chemistry Students use these Chemical Element Hanzi, or do they just use the European Element Abbreviations based in Roman Letters?) They suprising are also found in an extended Japanese Kanji　漢字 Character Sets like the extended Japanese Shift-JIS.

Lets keep this thread going, it's very interesting.

[skylee]

I also gather that these characters with two syllable readings are fairly recently created characters like those used for the known elements of the periodic table

Could you highlight the CHINESE characters with two syllable readings please?