A unit of weight or measure used in Middle Eastern or Islamic trade, varying by region and commodity.
From Arabic 'qabil' or related Semitic roots referring to a measure. The word entered European trading languages through medieval commerce with the Islamic world and Mediterranean ports.
Words like 'chebel' show the hidden history of international commerce—European merchants needed Arabic and Persian measurement systems to trade successfully, so they borrowed the words wholesale. It's why English has 'ounce' (from Arabic 'uncia') and 'sugar' (from Sanskrit via Arabic).
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