Hvat (Serbian:Хват) is a historicalunit oflength that was common inCroatia andSerbia analogous tofathom. The measurement system based on the hvat is calledhvatski sistem[1] (literally "hvat system").
1 hvat equals:
1 metre equals 0.527292 hvats.[1]
The hvat measurement system had been developed fromAustrian units of measurement, used in Croatia andVojvodina (northern part of Serbia) while they were parts of Austro-Hungarian Empire (Austria-Hungary[1]). Hvat is equal to Austrian measure Vienneseklafters.In the hvat system, hvat is used as a basis for theunit of area, called "kvadratni hvat"[1] (Serbian) or "četvorni hvat"[1] (both Serbian and Croatian). This could be translated as "square hvat" and is analogous tosquare fathom. The square hvat and other derived units in the hvat system are still sometimes encountered in measuring land.
1 square hvat equals 3.596652square meters;[1] 1 square meter equals 0.278036431 square hvats.[1]
Square hvat is used as the basis for other units of surface in the hvat system.
When used today, the units are often rounded to the nearest square meter. Thus, jutro is rounded to 5,755 square meters[1] and lanac is rounded to 7,192 square meters.[1] When more precision is needed,katastarsko jutro (meaningcadastral jutro) is used, that equals exactly 0.5754642hectares[1] (5,754.642 square meters).
Other historical units that are sometimes used to measure surface together with the square hvat are:
Maps depicting land measured in hvat system are drawn in following scales:
Hvat is also used as a basis for the unit of volume, called "kubni hvat", often colloquially abbreviated to "kubik" in both languages (though note that the same abbreviation is used forcubic meter). This could be translated as "cubic hvat" (analogous tocubic fathom).
If calculated from hvat, one cubic hvat would equal 6.820992cubic meters.General Encyclopedia of the Yugoslav Lexicographical Institute, however, lists "metrički hvat", most commonly used to measurefirewood, equal to 4 cubic meters.[2]