Liang
/ˈliːɑːŋ/noun
A traditional Chinese unit of weight and money, commonly translated as a tael.
Did you know?The value of a liang was not fixed across Chinese history or regions, so the same word could represent different actual weights of silver.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese, 1st millennium BCE
Old Chinese
兩
“A pair or two; the character depicts or represents a doubled quantity.”
Middle Chinese, 6th–10th centuries
Middle Chinese
兩, ljangX
“Two, both, or a paired quantity; the word also developed specialized measuring uses.”
Medieval China
Chinese
兩, liǎng
“A unit used for weighing precious metals, medicines, and other goods.”
Ming–Qing periods
Late Imperial Chinese
liǎng
“A standardized or semi-standardized unit of weight and a corresponding monetary denomination, especially in silver transactions.”
19th century
English
liang
“An English loanword for the Chinese weight or monetary unit, often glossed as “tael.””
Modern English
English
liang
“A historical Chinese unit of weight or money, whose precise value varied by period and locality.”