Arroba
{{short description|Unit of mass}}
{{for|the @ as a character|At sign}}
Arroba is a Portuguese and Spanish customary unit of weight, mass or volume. Its symbol is @.
History
The word arroba has its origin in Arabic ar-rubʿ {{cite web |url=https://dle.rae.es/?w=arroba |title=arroba |website=Diccionario de la lengua española |publisher=Real Academia Española |access-date=2020-02-14}} (الربع) or "quarter," specifically the fourth part (of a quintal), which defined the average load which a donkey could carry.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}
Iberian Peninsula
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 {{convert|15|kg}}.
In Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru the arroba is equivalent to {{convert|12.5|kg}}.La República, [http://www.larepublica.pe/sociedad/24/04/2010/en-feria-de-la-mujer-emprendedora-presentan-antibioticos-naturales-saludables En Feria de la Mujer Emprendedora presentan antibióticos naturales saludables] {{in lang|es}}
In Bolivia nationally it is equivalent to {{convert|30.46|L}}. However locally there are many different values, ranging from {{convert|11.5|L}} in Inquisivi to {{convert|16|L}} in Baures.[http://www.sizes.com/units/arroba_bolivia.htm Arroba in Bolivia] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206230602/http://www.sizes.com/units/arroba_bolivia.htm |date=February 6, 2010 }}
Internet
In Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking countries, "arroba" has continued as the word for the "@" symbol used in Internet email addresses and other messaging and collaboration software.
See also
References
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