The arrátel () was the
base unit of
weight
In science and engineering, the weight of an object is a quantity associated with the gravitational force exerted on the object by other objects in its environment, although there is some variation and debate as to the exact definition.
Some sta ...
in the
Portuguese customary measurement system.
[''Dicionário Enciclopédico Lello Universal'', Oporto: Lello & Irmão, 2002.] Until the adoption of the
metric system
The metric system is a system of measurement that standardization, standardizes a set of base units and a nomenclature for describing relatively large and small quantities via decimal-based multiplicative unit prefixes. Though the rules gover ...
in the 19th century, the arrátel was used in
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
,
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
and other parts of the
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire was a colonial empire that existed between 1415 and 1999. In conjunction with the Spanish Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It achieved a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa ...
.
[MONTEVERDE, Emilio Achilles, ''Manual Encyclopedico para Uzo das Escolas de Instrucção Primaria'', Lisboa: Imprensa Nacional, 1861.]
The real value of the arrátel fluctuated during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
. Before king
Pedro I, the main arrátel seems to have been an arrátel of 12.5
ounces. With Pedro I, the official arrátel increased to 14 ounces. Finally, the Portuguese arrátel was fixed at 16 ounces by decree of King
Manuel I in 1499. This arrátel, which was kept as the national standard until the introduction of the metric system, was similar to the Spanish
libra.
Arratel values
* 13th century: Arratel = 12½ ''onças'' (
ounces) = 25/32 ''libras'' = 0,3596
kg;
* 15th century: Arratel = 14 ''onças'' = 0.4025 kg;
* 1499: Arratel = 16 ''onças'' = 1 ''libra'' = 1.011
Avoirdupois pound = 0.4590 kg.
See also
*
Portuguese customary units
*
Pound (mass)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arratel
Units of mass