A unit of liquid capacity in North Africa. Also spelled mataro, mettar, metal, metallo, mitre.
In Libya, 20ᵗʰ century, a unit of capacity, about 23.32 liters (about 6.16 U.S. gallons).
Locale | Local Names and Equivalents | Liters |
---|---|---|
Algers | mettallo, metalli; for oil; weighs 20 rotl-kèbir or 30 rotl-attari, about 16.38 kilograms | 17.90 |
Tripoli | mattaro; for oil; weighs 42 rottoli, about 20.9 kilograms | 23.34 |
Tunis | mataro, mitre, mettar, metal; for oil; | 19.69; 19.40¹ |
for wine; 6¼ mitres = 1 millerole | 9.88 | |
Soussa | for oil | 24.00 |
1. Kelly, page @.
In Tunis and Tripoli, 14th century, a unit of liquid capacity for oil, about @ liters.
L'olio si vende [in Tunis] a una misura che si chiama mattaro, il mattaro à rottoli 32 a peso, e fa chonto una garra di Tunisi tiene 5 in 6 mattari.
Oil is sold by a measure they call a mattaro, the mattaro weighs 32 ruotoli, and they count a giara of Tunis as containing 5 to 6 mattari.
Italian in Majorca, 1399.
Archivio Datini. Registro. 1026, as quoted in Edler, page 173.
Copyright © 2005 Sizes, Inc. All rights reserved.
Last revised: 25 November 2005.