The Dutch units of measurement used today are those 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 ...

. Before the 19th century, a wide variety of different weights and measures were used by the various Dutch towns and provinces. Despite the country's small size, there was a lack of uniformity. During the

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands which roughly lasted from 1588, when the Dutch Republic was established, to 1672, when the '' Rampjaar'' occurred. During this period, Dutch trade, scientific development ...

, these weights and measures accompanied the Dutch to the farthest corners of their colonial empire, including South Africa,

New Amsterdam New Amsterdam (, ) was a 17th-century Dutch Empire, Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''Factory (trading post), fac ...

and the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...

. Units of weight included the ''pond'', ''ons'' and ''last''. There was also an

apothecaries' system The apothecaries' system, or apothecaries' weights and measures, is a historical system of mass and volume units that were used by physicians and apothecaries for medical prescriptions and also sometimes by scientists."Medicinal-Gewicht, Apotheke ...

of weights. The ''mijl'' and ''roede'' were measurements of distance. Smaller distances were measured in units based on parts of the body – the ''el'', the ''voet'', the ''palm'' and the ''duim''. Area was measured by the ''morgen'', ''hont'', ''roede'' and ''voet''. Units of volume included the ''okshoofd'', ''aam'', ''anker'', ''stoop'', and ''mingel''. At the start of the 19th century the Dutch adopted a unified

. It was based on a modified version of the metric system, different from the system used today. In 1869, this was realigned with the international

. These old units of measurement have disappeared, but they remain a colourful legacy of the Netherlands' maritime and commercial importance. The old units of measurement survive today in a number of Dutch sayings and expressions.

Historical units of measure

When

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

was crowned

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...

in 800 AD, his empire included most of modern-day Western Europe including the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

and

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. Charlemagne introduced a standard system of measurement across his domains using names such as "pound" and "foot". At the

Treaty of Verdun The Treaty of Verdun (; ), agreed to on 10 August 843, ended the Carolingian civil war and divided the Carolingian Empire between Lothair I, Louis the German, Louis II and Charles the Bald, Charles II, the surviving sons of the emperor Louis the ...

, the empire was divided between Charlemagne's three grandsons. Lothair received the central portion, stretching from the Netherlands in the north to

Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...

and

Provence Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...

in the south. Further fragmentation followed and with it various parts of the empire modified the units of measures in a manner that suited the local lord. By the start of the

religious wars A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war (), is a War, war and conflict which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion and beliefs. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the exte ...

, the territories that made up the Netherlands, still part of the Holy Roman Empire, had passed into the lordship of the

King of Spain The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish ...

. Each territory had its own variant of the original Carolingian units of measure. Under the

Treaty of Westphalia The Peace of Westphalia (, ) is the collective name for two Peace treaty, peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought peace to the Holy R ...

in 1648, the seven Protestant territories that owed a nominal allegiance to the

Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by the stadtholders of, and then the heirs apparent of ...

seceded from the Holy Roman Empire and established their own confederacy but each kept its own system of measures.

Weight

Pond

:*''

pond A pond is a small, still, land-based body of water formed by pooling inside a depression (geology), depression, either naturally or artificiality, artificially. A pond is smaller than a lake and there are no official criteria distinguishing ...

'' (''

pound Pound or Pounds may refer to: Units * Pound (currency), various units of currency * Pound sterling, the official currency of the United Kingdom * Pound (mass), a unit of mass * Pound (force), a unit of force * Rail pound, in rail profile * A bas ...

'') (

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

) – 494.09 g (1.0893 lb) (with variations, now 500 g) :A ''pond'' was divided into sixteen ''ons''. A ''pond'' was roughly about the same size as a modern pound. It was generally around 480 grams, but there was much variation from region to region. The most commonly used measure of weight was the Amsterdam pound. Appendix ::* one

pound (scale weight) (''Amsterdams pond – waaggewicht'') was 494.09 grams, ::* one

Gorinchem Gorinchem ( ), pronunciation respelling, also spelled Gorkum, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. It had a population of in . The munici ...

pound (''Gorinchems pond'') was 466 grams, ::* one

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

heavy pound (''Utrechts zwaar pond'') was 497.8 grams. :After the metric system was introduced in 1816, the word ''pond'' continued to be used, but for 1 kilogram. This doubling in size of the ''pond'' in one fell swoop created a good deal of confusion. The name "kilogram" was adopted in 1869, but the ''pond'' was only eliminated as a formal unit of measurement in 1937. ''Pond'' is still used today in everyday parlance to refer to 500 g, not far from its historical weight. The word ''pond'' is also used when referring to the pound used in English-speaking countries.

Ons

:*'' ons, once'' (

ounce The ounce () is any of several different units of mass, weight, or volume and is derived almost unchanged from the , an Ancient Roman unit of measurement. The avoirdupois ounce (exactly ) is avoirdupois pound; this is the United States ...

) – pond = 30.881 g (1.0893 oz) (with variations, now 100 g) :An ''ons'' was of a ''pond''. An ''ons'' was generally around 30 grams, but there was much variation. The figures provided above for the weight of the various pounds used in the Netherlands can be divided by 16 to obtain the weights of the various ounces in use. After the metric system was introduced, the word ''ons'' continued to be used, but for 100 g. The ''ons'' was eliminated as a formal unit of measurement in 1937, but it is still used today in everyday parlance to refer to 100 g. In the Netherlands today the word ''ons'' does not commonly refer to its historical weight of around 30 g (the exact weight depending on where you were), but to 100 g.

Last'' or ''Scheepslast

:* ''scheepslast'' – 4,000 Amsterdam ''pond'' = :Meaning literally a "load", a ''last'' was essentially the equivalent of of shipping space. A ''last'' in the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( ; VOC ), commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, was a chartered company, chartered trading company and one of the first joint-stock companies in the world. Established on 20 March 1602 by the States Ge ...

(VOC) in the 17th century was about the same as 1,250 kg, becoming later as much as 2,000 kg. :In the Dutch fishery, a ''last'' was a measurement of the fish loaded into the various types of fishing boat in use (e.g. a ''bomschuit'', ''buis'', ''sloep'' or ''logger''). The last of these could take 35 to 40 ''last'' of fish, the exact amount depending on the location. In the

South Holland South Holland ( ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.8 million as of January 2023 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely populated areas. ...

fishing villages of

Scheveningen Scheveningen () is one of the eight districts of The Hague, Netherlands, as well as a subdistrict () of that city. Scheveningen is a modern seaside resort with a long, sandy beach, an esplanade, a pier, and a lighthouse. The beach is popular ...

and

Katwijk Katwijk () is a coastal municipality and town in the province of South Holland, which is situated in the mid-western part of the Netherlands. The Oude Rijn (Utrecht and South Holland), Oude Rijn ("Old Rhine") river flows through the town and i ...

, it amounted to 17 crans (''kantjes'') of

herring Herring are various species of forage fish, belonging to the Order (biology), order Clupeiformes. Herring often move in large Shoaling and schooling, schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate wate ...

; in

Vlaardingen Vlaardingen () is a large town and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in South Holland in the Netherlands. It is located on the north bank of the Nieuwe Maas river at the confluence with the Oude Maas. The municipality admin ...

14 packed tons. A cran (''kantje'') held about 900 to 1,000 herring. In

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...

a ''last'' was about 1,000 kg of herring. The term fell out of use when the herring fishery disappeared.

Apothecaries' system

:In the Netherlands (as in English-speaking countries) there was an

of weights. ::

Length

Mijl

:* one Dutch mile or mijl () = about 5½–6¼ km :The usual or was actually the

league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football * ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...

, the Celtic unit of distance notionally equivalent to an hour's walk (), varying over different terrain. This was usually standardized at the value of 20,000

feet The foot (: feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is an organ at the terminal part of the leg made up of ...

, although the foot varied over time and from region to region. The

foot produced a mijl of around 3.52 miles or 5.66 km, while the

Rhenish The Rhineland ( ; ; ; ) is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. It is the main industrial heartland of Germany because of its many factories, and it has historic ties to the Holy Roman Empir ...

foot produced one of 3.9 miles or 6.28 km. :In specific contexts, a separate mile might be used. Sailors used a

nautical Seamanship is the art, competence, and knowledge of operating a ship, boat or other craft on water. The'' Oxford Dictionary'' states that seamanship is "The skill, techniques, or practice of handling a ship or boat at sea." It involves topic ...

geographical mile The geographical mile is an international unit of length determined by 1 minute of arc ( degree) along the Earth's equator. For the international ellipsoid 1924 this equalled 1855.4 metres. '' The American Practical Navigator'' 2017 defines the ...

() based on varying divisions of an equatorial degree. The traditional version was identical to the German and Scandinavian nautical mile of 4

minutes of arc A minute of arc, arcminute (abbreviated as arcmin), arc minute, or minute arc, denoted by the symbol , is a unit of angular measurement equal to of a degree. Since one degree is of a turn, or complete rotation, one arcminute is of a tu ...

of an

equator The equator is the circle of latitude that divides Earth into the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Southern Hemisphere, Southern Hemispheres of Earth, hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, about in circumferen ...

ial degreeor about 7.4 km. Some, however, used the Portuguese maritime league () of of a degree or about 5.56 km. The "Netherlands mile" was also used as a direct synonym for the

kilometer The kilometre ( SI symbol: km; or ), spelt kilometer in American and Philippine English, is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one thousand metres (kilo- being the SI prefix for ). It is the preferred mea ...

between the beginning of Dutch metrification in 1816 and the completion of the reforms in 1869. (Within Dutch, the word has now fallen out of use except in fixed expressions and references to English and international nautical units.)

Roede

:The ''roede'' (literally, "rod") was generally somewhat smaller than the English rod, which is 16.5 feet (or 5.0292 metres). However, the length of a ''roede'', and the number of ''voeten'' in a ''roede'', varied from place to place. There could be anywhere from 7 to 21 ''voeten'' in a ''roede''. The ''roede'' used in the Netherlands for the measurement of long distances was generally the Rijnland rod. Other rods included:de Gelder, page 167 ::* one Rijnland rod (''Rijnlandse roede'') (= 12 Rijnland feet) was 3.767 m ::* one

rod (''Amsterdamse roede'') (= 13 Amsterdam feet) was 3.68 m ::* one Bloois rod (''Blooise roede'') (= 12 feet) was 3.612 m ::* one

's-Hertogenbosch s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 160,783. It is the capital of ...

rod (s-Hertogenbosche roede'') (= 20 feet) was 5.75 m ::* one Hondsbos and Rijp rod (''Hondsbosse en Rijp roede'') was 3.42 m ::* one Putten rod (''Puttense roede'') (= 14 feet) was 4.056 m ::* one Schouw rod (''Schouwse roede'') (= 12 feet) was 3.729 m ::* one Kings rod (in Friesland) (''Konings roede'') (= 12 feet) was 3.913 m ::* one Gelderland rod (''Geldersche roede'') (= 14 feet) was 3.807 m :Today the word ''roede'' is not in common use in the Netherlands as a unit of measurement.

El

:The length represented by the Dutch ell was the distance of the inside of the arm (i.e. the distance from the armpit to the tip of the fingers), an easy way to measure length. The Dutch "ell", which varied from town to town (, was somewhat shorter than the English

ell An ell (from Proto-Germanic *''alinō'', cognate with Latin ''ulna'') is a northwestern European unit of measurement, originally understood as a cubit (the combined length of the forearm and extended hand). The word literally means "arm", an ...

(114.3 cm). A section of measurements is given below: ::* one

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

ell or standard ell (''Haagse of gewone el'') = 69.425 cm ::* one

ell (''Amsterdamse el'') = 68.78 cm ::* one Brabant ell (''Brabantse el'') = 69.2 cm or 16 ''tailles'' ::* one

Delft Delft () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam, to the southeast, ...

ell (''Delfsche el'') = 68.2 cm ::* one

Goes The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), operated by the United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service division, supports weather fo ...

ell (''Goesche el'') = 69 cm ::* one

Twente Twente ( , Tweants dialect: ''Tweante'') is a region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel. Twente is most likely named after the Tuihanti or Tvihanti, a Germanic people ...

ell (''Twentse el'') = 58.7 cm :In 1725 The Hague ell was fixed as the national standard for tax purposes and from 1816 to 1869, the word ''el'' was used in the Netherlands to refer to the metre. In 1869 the word ''meter'' was adopted and the ''el'', disappeared, both as a word and as a unit of measurement.

Voet

:The ''voet'' ("foot") was of the same order of magnitude as the English foot (), but its exact size varied from city to city and from province to province. There were 10, 11, 12 or 13 ''duimen'' (inches) in a ''voet'', depending on the city's local regulations. The Rijnland foot which had been in use since 1621 was most commonly used ''voet'' in the both Netherlands and in parts of Germany. In 1807, de Gelder measured the copy of the Rijnland foot in the

Leiden Leiden ( ; ; in English language, English and Archaism, archaic Dutch language, Dutch also Leyden) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Nethe ...

observatory to be while Eytelwien found that the master copy that was in use in Germany was – a difference of 0.03%. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries Dutch settlers took the Rijnland foot to the

Cape Colony The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...

. In 1859, by which time the colony had passed into British control, the Cape foot was calibrated against the English foot and legally defined as 1.033 English feet (). :The following is a partial list of the various ''voeten'' in use the Netherlands: ::* one Rijnland foot (''Rijnlandse voet'') (= 12 Rijnland inches) was 31.4 cm ::* one

foot (''Amsterdamse voet'') (= 11 Amsterdam inches) was 28.3133 cm ::* one Bloois foot (''Blooise voet'') was 30.1 cm ::* one

foot (s-Hertogenbossche voet'') was 28.7 cm ::* one Hondsbos and Rijp foot (''Honsbossche en Rijpse voet'') was 28.5 cm ::* one Schouw foot (''Schouwse voet'') was 31.1 cm ::* one

Gelderland Gelderland ( , ), also known as Guelders ( ) in English, is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands, located in the centre-east of the country. With a total area of of which is water, it is the largest province of the Nethe ...

foot (''Geldersche voet'') was 29.2 cm :Today the word ''voet'' is not in common use in the Netherlands as a unit of measurement, except when referring to the English foot.

Palm

:*''kleine palm'' (small

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae ** List of Arecaceae genera **Palm oil * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music ...

) – 3 cm (1.18 in) :*''grote palm'' (large palm) – 9.6 cm; after 1820, 10 cm

Duim

:The ''duim'' ( nl) ("thumb", but translated as "inch") was about the width of the top phalanx of the thumb of an adult man. It was very similar to the length of the English inch (2.54 cm). Its exact length and definition varied from region to region, but was usually one-twelfth of a ''voet'', though the ''Amsterdamse duim'' was one eleventh of an ''Amsterdamse voet''. ::* one

inch (''Amsterdamse duim'') was ::* one

Nijmegen Nijmegen ( , ; Nijmeegs: ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and the ninth largest of the Netherlands as a whole. Located on the Waal River close to the German border, Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the ...

inch (''Gelderse of Nijmeegse duim'') was 2.7 cm ::* one Rijnland inch (''Rijnlandse duim'') was 2.61 cm :When the "Dutch metric system" (''Nederlands metriek stelsel'') was introduced in 1820 the word ''duim'' was used for the centimeter, but in 1870 was dropped. Today the word ''duim'' is not in common use in the Netherlands as a unit of measurement except when referring to the English inch. The word is still used in certain expressions such as "''drieduims pijp''" (three-inch pipe) and "''duimstok''" (ruler or gauge).

Area

Morgen :*''

morgen A Morgen (Mg) is a historical, but still occasionally used, German unit of area used in agriculture. Officially, it is no longer in use, having been supplanted by the hectare. While today it is approximately equivalent to the Prussian ''morgen' ...

'' was 8,516 square metres (with variations). :"Morgen" is

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

for "morning". A morgen of land represented the amount of land that could be ploughed in a morning. The exact size varied from region to region. The number of ''roede'' in a ''morgen'' also varied from place to place, and could be anywhere from 150 to 900. ::* one Rijnland morgen (''Rijnlandse morgen'') = 8,516 square metres (Divided into 6 honts. A hont was divided into 100 square Rijnland rods. So there were 600 Rijnland rods in a ''morgen''. A Rijnland rod was divided into 144 square Rijnland feet.) ::* one Bilt morgen (''Biltse morgen'') = 9,200 square metres ::* one

morgen (''Gelderse morgen'') = 8,600 square metres ::* one

Gooi The Gooi ( ) is an area around Hilversum, in the centre of the Netherlands. It is a slightly hilly area characterised by its green landscape, its historical charm, the wealth of its inhabitants and its villas. The Gooi is known in the country a ...

morgen (''Gooise morgen'') = 9,800 square metres ::* one

morgen (''Bossche morgen'') = 9,930 square metres (Divided into 6 loopense = 600 square roede = 240,000 square feet.) ::* one

Veluwe The Veluwe () is a forest-rich ridge of hills (1100 km2; 420 sq. mi.) in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe features many different landscapes, including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe's largest sand ...

morgen (''Veluwse morgen'') = 9,300 square metres ::* one

Waterland Waterland () is a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands, in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland. It is situated north of Amsterdam, on the western shore of the Markermeer. It includes t ...

morgen (''Waterlandse morgen'') = 10,700 square metres ::* one Zijp or

Schermer Schermer () is a former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The name comes from "''skir mere''", which means "bright lake". Since 2015 it has been a part of the municipality of Alkmaar. The municipality of Schermer ...

morgen (''Zijper of Schermer morgen'') = 8,516 square metres :During the French occupation, measurements were standardised and regional variations eliminated. Initially, the Napoleonic king

Louis Napoleon Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...

decreed in 1806 that the Rijnland morgen would be used throughout the country, but this only lasted a few years. It wasn't long before the metric system was introduced. Since then land has been measured in square metres (hectares, ares and

centiare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), that is, square metres (), and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. A ...

s). Hont :A ''hont'' consisted of 100 ''roede''.The exact size of a ''hont'' of land varied from place to place, but the Rijnland ''hont'' was 1,400 square metres. Another name for ''hont'' was "''honderd''", a Dutch word meaning "hundred". The word ''hond'' is derived from the earlier Germanic word ''hunda'', which meant "hundred" (or "dog"). After the metric system was introduced in the 19th century, the measurement fell into disuse. Roede :A square ''roede'' was also referred to as a ''roede''. ''Roede'' (or ''roe'') was both an area measurement as well as a linear measurement. The exact size of a ''roede'' depended on the length of the local ''roede'', which varied from place to place. The most common ''roede'' used in the Netherlands was the Rijnland rod. ::* one Rijnland rod (''Rijnlandse roede'') was 14.19 m² ::* one Amsterdam rod (''Amsterdamse roede'') was 13.52 m² ::* one 's-Hertogenbosch rod (''Bossche roede'') was 33.1 m² ::* one Breda rod (''Bredase roede'') was 32.26 m² ::* one Groningen rod (''Groningse roede'') was 16.72 m² ::* one Hondsbos rod (''Hondsbosse roede'') was 11.71 m² :When the Dutch metric system (''Nederlands metriek stelsel'') was introduced in 1816, the old names were used for the new metric measures. An are was referred to as a "square rod" (''vierkante roede''). The rod and the square rod were abandoned by 1937, but the Rijnland rod (''Rijnlandse Roede''), abbreviated as "RR²", is still used as a measurement of surface area for flowerbulb fields. Voet ::*'' Rijnlandse voet'' ('' Rijnland square foot'') – 0.098596 m² (1.0163 sq ft) ::*'' Hertogenbossche voet'' (''

'' ''square foot'') – 0.082369 m² (0.8866 sq ft) :A square ''voet'' was also called a ''voet''. The word ''voet'' (meaning "foot") could refer to a foot or to a square foot. The exact size of a ''voet'' depended on the length of the local ''voet'', which changed from region to region. The most commonly used ''voet'' in the Netherlands was the Rijnland foot.

Volume

:The Dutch measures of volume, as with all other measures, varied from locality to locality. The modern-day equivalents are therefore only approximate and equating litres with

quart The quart (symbol: qt) is a unit of volume equal to a quarter of a gallon. Three kinds of quarts are currently used: the liquid quart and dry quart of the US customary system and the of the British imperial system. All are roughly equal ...

s will not unduly distort the results (1 litre = 1.057 US quarts = 0.880 UK quarts) Okshoofd :*'' okshoofd'' (''oxhead'') – 6 ankers = 232 litres :A ''okshoofd'' (earlier spelling: ''oxhoofd'') was a measurement of volume representing the volume held by a large barrel of wine. The measurement was also used for vinegar, tobacco and sugar. The measurement is still used by businesses in the wine and spirits trade. There were six ''ankers'' in an ''okshoofd''. :There is a saying in Dutch: "You can't draw clean wine from an unclean oxhead". (''Men kan geen reine wijn uit een onrein okshoofd tappen''.) Aam :*'' aam'' – 4 ankers = 155 litres :There were four ''ankers'' in an ''aam''. It was used for measuring the volume of wine. The size of an ''aam'' varied from place to place. It was anything from 141 to 160 litres. Anker :*''

anker Anker may refer to: People *Anker (name), people with the given name or surname *Anker (noble family) Places *River Anker, in Warwickshire, England *Anker Site, an archaeological site in Illinois, US Companies and brands * Anker (automobile), ...

'' (''anchor'') = approximately 38.75 litres :An ''anker'' was a measure of volume representing the volume held in a small cask holding around 45 bottles. Stoop :*''stoop'' – anker = 2.4 litres Mingel :*''mingel'' – stoop = approximately 1.21 litres

Dutch metric system

In 1792, the southern part of the Netherlands was incorporated into the

First French Republic In the history of France, the First Republic (), sometimes referred to in historiography as Revolutionary France, and officially the French Republic (), was founded on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. The First Republic lasted u ...

, and in 1807, the rest of the Netherlands was incorporated into what had now become the

First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...

and as a result the Netherlands was forced to accept the

French units of measurement 200px, Table of the measuring units used in the 17th century at region of southeastern France France has a unique history of Unit of measurement, units of measurement due to its radical decision to invent and adopt the metric system after the F ...

. In 1812, France replaced the original

with the

mesures usuelles (, ''customary measures'') were a French system of measurement introduced by French Emperor Napoleon I in 1812 to act as compromise between the metric system and traditional measurements. The system was restricted to use in the retail industry ...

. Under the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...

in 1815, the

Kingdom of the Netherlands The Kingdom of the Netherlands (, ;, , ), commonly known simply as the Netherlands, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united under the monarch of the Netherlands, who functions as head of state. The re ...

which included

and

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

was established as a buffer state against France. Under the Royal decree of 27 March 1817 (''Koningklijk besluit van den 27 Maart 1817''), the newly formed

abandoned the mesures usuelles in favour of the "Dutch"

(''Nederlands metrisch stelsel'') in which metric units were given the names of units of measure that were then in use. Examples include: Length :1 ''mijl'' (mile) = 1 kilometre (1 statute mile = 1.609 km) :1 ''roede'' (rood) = 10 metres :1 ''el'' (ell) = 1 metre (1 English ell of 45 in = 1.143 m) :1 ''palm'' (hand) = 10 centimetres (1 English hand = 10.16 cm) :1 ''duim'' (inch) = 1 centimetre (1 inch = 2.54 cm) :1 ''streep'' (line) = 1 millimetre (1 English line = 2.12 mm) Area :1 ''bunder'' = 1 hectare :1 ''vierkante roede'' (square rod) = 1 are or 100 m² Volume :1 ''wisse'' or ''teerling el'' = 1 cubic metre. :1 ''mud'' (bushel) = 100 litres :1 ''kop'' (cup) = 1 litre (1 Australian cup = 250 ml) :1 ''maatje'' (small measure) = 100 millilitres :1 ''vingerhoed'' (thimble) = 10 millilitres Weight :1 ''pond'' (pound) = 1 kilogram (1 pound avoirdupois = 0.454 kg) :::(though in modern colloquial speech, 500 g is also known as a ''pond''. :1 ''ons'' (ounce) = 100 grams (1 ounce avoirdupois = 28.35 g) :1 ''lood'' (lead) = 10 grams :1 ''wigtje'' (small weight) = 1 gram :1 ''korrel'' (grain) = 0.1 gram In 1816, the Netherlands and France were the only countries in the world that were using variations of the metric system. By the late 1860s, the German

Zollverein The (), or German Customs Union, was a coalition of States of the German Confederation, German states formed to manage tariffs and economic policies within their territories. Organized by the 1833 treaties, it formally started on 1 January 1 ...

and many other neighbouring countries had adopted the metric system, so in 1869 the modern names were adopted (''Wet van 7 April 1869, Staatsblad No.57''). A few of the older names remained officially in use, but they were eliminated when the system was further standardised by the 1937 Act on Weights and Measures (''IJkwet''). Nevertheless the ''ons'' and ''pond'' are still used colloquially to always mean respectively 100 grams and 500 grams.

Modern metric system

Today the Netherlands uses the

International system of units The International System of Units, internationally known by the abbreviation SI (from French ), is the modern form of the metric system and the world's most widely used system of measurement. It is the only system of measurement with official s ...

(SI).

Nomenclature

The metric system in the Netherlands has virtually the same nomenclature as in English (to be noted that English got metre from French), except: :* the "-er" spelling is used (e.g. ''kilometer''), :* there is no plural form (e.g. "three metres" is expressed as "''drie meter''"), :* ''ton'' is Dutch for "

tonne The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton in the United States to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the s ...

". ''Ton'' is also used to refer to an amount of currency worth 100 thousand. :* a few metric measurements unfamiliar to most English speakers are sometimes used to refer to property measurements (e.g. are and

Standards

On 30 October 2006, the Weights and Measures Act was replaced by the Metrology Act. The organisation currently responsible for weights and measures in the Netherlands is a private company called the ''Nederlands Meetinstituut'' (NMi). Literally, this means "Dutch Institute of Measures", but the organisation uses its Dutch name in English. The company was created in 1989 when the Metrology Service (Dienst van het IJkwezen) was privatised. At first, the sole shareholder was the Dutch government, but in 2001 the sole shareholder became TNO Bedrijven, a holding company for TNO, the Dutch Organisation for Applied Scientific Research.

Notes

References

* * *

External links

NMI
(Nederlands Meetinstituut (NMi) There is some information in English, but very little on the historical system.)
VSL Dutch Metrology Institute

(A comprehensive collection of links and information.)

(Dutch only)

(Dutch only)
Dutch Weights and Measures Collectors Society
{{systems of measurement Systems of units History of science and technology in the Netherlands Units of measurement by country