Tael
/teɪl/noun
A former Chinese unit of weight and monetary value, varying by place and period.
Did you know?A tael was not a single universally fixed coin: it was primarily a weight of silver, so its value could vary between regions and historical periods.
Etymological Timeline
Early Chinese usage
Chinese
兩 (liǎng)
“A unit of weight; later also a monetary accounting unit based on silver.”
Pre-modern Southeast Asia
Malay
tahil
“A unit of weight, borrowed through Chinese–Malay commercial exchange.”
16th–18th Century
Portuguese
tael
“A Chinese or East Asian weight and silver-money unit encountered through maritime trade.”
18th Century
English
tael
“A Chinese weight of silver, commonly used in descriptions of Asian commerce.”
Modern English
English
tael
“A historical Chinese unit of weight or currency, especially in numismatic and historical contexts.”