niu

1

[Thai นืว] In Thailand, ? – 20^th century, a unit of length, since standardization in 1923 = ²⁵/₁₂ (2.083…) millimeters (about 0.82 inches)¹. Also romanized as niou and nin.

The word also means “finger.” In concept, the niu is the length of 8 grains of unhulled rice placed side by side.²Browne, however, says the grains are husked: "Piet Met Can Ple�ae".

Before metrification, when the wah was 80 inches, the niu was 5/6 inch (about 2.0637 millimeters).³ Before that the niu was about 20.02 millimeters.⁴

1. United Nations, 1966.

2. G. B. McFarland.
Thai-English Dictionary.
Palo Alto: Stanford University Press, 1944.

Page 460.

3. Thus Browne (1879), Blockhuys and Guillaume.

4. Thus Doursther (1840) and Alexander (1850).

2

[Laotian] In Laos, the niou louang, a unit of length with the same value as the Thai niu.