chinanta

In the Philippines, a unit of mass, = 10 catties, about 6 kilograms. link to a table showing relationships between Philippine units of mass

International Critical Tables (1926), page 10.

Chinanta (or sinanta) appears also to have been the name of the steelyard used to weigh chinantas.

examples

1

To the common cooking-salt the natives prefer a so-called rock salt, which they obtain by evaporation from sea-water previously filtered through ashes; and of which one chinanta (13 lbs. German) costs from one and one-half to two reals.

Austin Craig, ed.
The Former Philippines thru Foreign Eyes.
New York: D. Appleton and Co, 1917.

The “German pound,” the Pfund, at this date was 500 grams, making the chinanta 6.5 kg.

2

Latterly the price of silk has risen from 40 to 45 dollars per chinanta of ten catties to 80 and 90 dollars, or say from 450 to 900 dollars per pecul.

Sir John Bowring.
A Visit to the Philippine Islands.
London: Smith, Elder and Co, 1859.
Page 394.

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