Mithqal
/ˈmɪθ.kɑːl/noun
A traditional Middle Eastern unit of weight, historically used especially for gold, silver, and coinage.
Did you know?The word comes from the Arabic root ثَقُلَ, meaning “to be heavy,” and mithqals were commonly used to measure precious metals and calculate zakat, or obligatory charitable giving.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ṯ-q-l
“To be heavy; weight”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
miṯqāl
“A measure of weight; literally, something associated with weighing”
8th–10th Century
Arabic
مِثْقَال
“A standard weight used for gold, silver, coinage, and religious calculations”
Medieval Persian
Persian
miṯqāl
“A monetary and weight unit adopted from Arabic”
Medieval English scholarship
English
mithqal
“A transliterated term for a Middle Eastern unit of weight”
Modern English
English
mithqal
“A historical unit of weight, commonly described as approximately 4.25 grams, though its value varied by period and region”