science

Tamil units of measurement

Tamil units of measurement is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Tamil units of measurement rather than just read about it. In short: The Tamil units of measurement are a system of measurements that was traditionally used in ancient Tamil-speaking parts of South India. These ancient measurement systems spanned systems of counting, distances, volumes, time, weight as well as tools used to do so.

Key takeaways

Tamil units of measurement belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Tamil units of measurement to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Tamil units of measurement from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Tamil units of measurement are a system of measurements that was traditionally used in ancient Tamil-speaking parts of South India. These ancient measurement systems spanned systems of counting, distances, volumes, time, weight as well as tools used to do so. While modern India uses the metric system, some of these older measurement systems, especially those of counting, are still used today. Other units that have persisted are those of area – the ma (not to be confused with the dollar-cent) and the ‘ground’, both used to measure land and the molam which has been relegated to measuring the length of a sandanam garland sold on streets. There are several similarities between the measurement system used in Tamil Nadu and that used by the Indus Valley civilisation. Excavation studies from Keeḻadi reveal existence of an older non-vedic civilisation in Tamil Nadu, and suggest possibilities of ancient Indian mathematicians in Tamil Nadu.

Units of time

Notes A. ^ created by blowing air through a bamboo tube into a vessel 1 சாண் (cāṇ) high, full of water

Units of area

Units of ancient trade

Balance weights

Grain volume 1 kuṇam = smallest unit of volume 9 kuṇam = 1 mummi 11 mummi = 1 aṇu 7 aṇu = 1 immi 7 immi = 1 uminel 1 sittigai = 7 uminel 360 nel = 1 sevidu 5 sevidu = 1 āḻākku 2 āḻākku = 1 uḻakku 2 uḻakku = 1 uri 2 uri = 1 padi 8 padi = 1 marakkaal (kuṟuṇi) 2 marakkāl (kuṟuṇi) = 1 padakku 2 padakku = 1 tōṇi 3 tōṇi = 1 kalam (= 96 padi) 5 marakkāl = 1 paṟai 80 paṟai = 1 karisai 96 padi = 1 pothi (mōdai) 21 marakkal = 1 Kottai 22 mākāni = 100 g 1 padi = 1800 avarai pods = 12,800 miḷagu seeds = 14,400 nel grains = 14,800 payaṟu grains = 38,000 arisi grains = 115,200 sesame ellu seeds

Fluid volume 5 sevidu = 1 āḻākku 2 mahani = 1 āḻākku (arai kal padi) 2 āḻākku = 1 uḻakku (Kal padi) 2 uḻakku = 1 uri (Arai padi) 2 uri = 1 padi 4 padi= 1 marakkaal 2 marakkāl (kuṟuṇi) = 1 padakku 2 padakku = 1 tōṇi 21 Marakkal = 1 Kottai

Length 1 Koan = (115.8953125 picometre) 10 Koan = 1 Nunnanu (0.1158953125 nanometre) 10 Nunnanu = 1 Aṇu (atom) (1.158953125 nanometre) 8 Aṇu = 1 Kadirtugal (9.271625 nanometre) 8 Kadirtugal = 1 Tusumbu (74.173 nanometre) 8 Tusumbu = 1 Mayirnuni (0.593384 micrometre) 8 Mayirnuni = 1 Nunnmanal (4.74707 micrometre) 8 Nunnmanal = 1 Siru-kadugu (37.976563 micrometre) 8 Siru-kadugu = 1 Yel (303.8125 micrometre or 0.3038125 millimetre) 8 Yel = 1 Nel (2.4305 millimetre) 8 nel = 1 viral = 8^8 aṇu (atom) = 1.9444 centimetre 12 viral = 1 sāṇ = 100 immi= 23.3333 centimetre = 9 inch 2 sāṇ = 1 muḻam = 46.6666 centimetre = 1.5 feet 2 sāṇ = 1 muḻam 2 muḻam = 1 yard = 3 feet = 1 yard 2 yard(yaar) = 1 pāgam 110 pāgam = 1 furlong 8 furlong = 1 mile 5 furlong = 1 kilometre or 1000 metre 625 pāgam = 1 kādam = 5000 sāṇ = 1166.66 metres = 1.167 kilometre

Whole numbers

The following are the traditional numbers of the Ancient Tamil Country, Tamilakam.

Tamil texts also elaborate the following sanskritized version :

1 ONDRU = One = 10 0 10 = PATU = Ten = 10 1 100 = NŌRU = Hundred = 10 2 1,000 = ĀYIRAM = One Thousand = 10 3 10,000 = PATĀYIRAM = Ten Thousand = 10 4 1,00,000 = LATCHAM = Hundred Thousand = 10 5 10,00,000 = PATHU LATCHAM = One Million = 10 6 1,00,00,000 = KODI = Ten Million = 10 7 10,00,00,000 = PATHU KODI = Hundred Million = 10 8 1,00,00,00,000 = ARPUTAM = One Billion = 10 9 10,00,00,00,000 = PATU ARPUTAM = Ten Billion = 10 10 1,00,00,00,00,000 = NIGARPUTAM = Hundred Billion = 10 11 10,00,00,00,00,000 = PATU NIGARPUTAM = One Trillion = 10 12 1,00,00,00,00,00,000 = KUMBAM = Ten Trillion = 10 13 10,00,00,00,00,00,000 = PATU KUMBAM = Hundred Trillion = 10 14 1,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = GANAM = One Quadrillion = 10 15 10,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = PATHU GANAM = Ten Quadrillion = 10 16 1,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = KARPAM = Hundred Quadrillion = 10 17 10,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = PATU KARPAM = One Quintillion = 10 18 1,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = NIKARPAM = Ten Quintillion = 10 19 10,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = PATU NIKARPAM = Hundred Quintillion = 10 20 1,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = PATUMAM = One Sextillion = 10 21 10,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = PATU PATUMAM = Ten Sextillion = 10 22 1,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = SANGGAM = Hundred Sextillion = 10 23 10,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = PATU SANGGAM = One Septillion = 10 24 1,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = VELLAM = Ten Septillion = 10 25 10,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = PATU VELLAM = Hundred Septillion = 10 26 1,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = ANNIYAM = One Octillion = 10 27 10,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = PATU ANNIYAM = Ten Octillion = 10 28 1,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = ARTTAM = Hundred Octillion = 10 29 10,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = PATHU ARTTAM = One Nonillion = 10 30 1,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = PARARTTAM = Ten Nonillion = 10 31 10,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = PATU PARARTTAM = Hundred Nonillion = 10 32 1,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = PŌRIYAM = One Decillion = 10 33 10,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = PATU PŌRIYAM = Ten Decillion = 10 34 1,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = MUKKODI = Hundred Decillion = 10 35 10,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = PATU MUKKODI = One Undecillion = 10 36 1,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 = MAHAYUGAM = Ten Undecillion = 10 37 Malaysian text elaborates the following version

1 ONDRU = One = 10 0 10 = PATU = Ten = 10 1 100 = NŌRU = Hundred = 10 2 1,000 = ĀYIRAM = One Thousand = 10 3 10,000 = PATĀYIRAM = Ten Thousand = 10 4 100,000 = LATCHAM = Hundred Thousand = 10 5 1,000,000 = PATU LATCHAM = One Million = 10 6 10,000,000 = KODI = Ten Million = 10 7 100,000,000 = PATU KODI = Hundred Million = 10 8 1,000,000,000 = NŌRU KODI = One Billion = 10 9

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Tamil units of measurement

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Tamil units of measurement claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Tamil units of measurement before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Tamil units of measurement ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Tamil units of measurement

In research: Tamil units of measurement appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Tamil units of measurement in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Tamil units of measurement is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Economic history of Tamil Nadu, Obsolete units of measurement, Systems of units, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Tamil units of measurement outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Tamil units of measurement” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Tamil units of measurement in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Tamil units of measurement means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Tamil units of measurement out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tamil units of measurement in simple terms?

Why does Tamil units of measurement matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Tamil units of measurement?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Tamil units of measurement.