Arroba

For the @ as a character, see At sign.

Arroba is a Portuguese and Spanish custom unit of weight, mass or volume. Its symbol is @.

History

The word arroba has its origin in Arabic ar-rubʿ ^[1] (الربع) or "quarter," specifically the fourth part (of a quintal), which defined the average load which a donkey could carry.^{[citation needed]}

Spain and Portugal

In weight it was equal to 32 pounds (14.7 kg) in Portugal and 25 pounds (11.5 kg) in Spain.

The unit is still used in Portugal and Spain by cork merchants and pig farmers.

Arroba and bushel as weight units are similar (15 kg).

Latin America

The unit is still used in Brazil by the agricultural sector, mainly in the cotton and cattle business. The modern metric arroba used in these countries in everyday life is defined as 15 kilograms (33 lb).

In Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru the arroba is equivalent to 11.5 kilograms (25 lb).^[2]

In Bolivia nationally it is equivalent to 30.46 litres (6.70 imp gal; 8.05 US gal). However locally there are many different values, ranging from 11.5 litres (2.5 imp gal; 3.0 US gal) in Inquisivi to 16 litres (3.5 imp gal; 4.2 US gal) in Baures.^[3]

Internet

In Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking countries, "arroba" has continued as the word for the "@" symbol used in Internet email addresses.

See also

• Portuguese customary units
• Spanish customary units

References

1. "arroba". Diccionario de la lengua española. Real Academia Española. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
2. La República, En Feria de la Mujer Emprendedora presentan antibióticos naturales saludables (in Spanish)
3. Arroba in Bolivia February 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine