I just read that the reason for a beverage can to be 0.33 litre is because it was based on the volume of an old Belgian costumary half a pint, called "uperken". This "uperken" was used in Belgium, the Netherlands and some parts of France...

Since I was born in Belgium, should I be proud now ?

It might depend on whether the 'uperken' was a customary measure in Flanders (which it sounds like) or Wallonia - and on whether you consider yourself Flemish or Walloon - or just 'Belgian'.

Mind you, since all European decisions are made in Brussels, your information is not a great surprise.

But fascinating if it's true - perhaps Conrad you could enlighten us on what other customary Flemish/Walloon measures there were.

I must say xcole is slipping up - I've seen zillions of posts from him but can't recollect any mention of the uperken yet

Tony,

if you're interested, I found a very interesting site where the "uperken" is mentioned. On this page the old Flemish costumary system is compared to the British system.

The abbreviation "NL" stands for "Nederlands" which means "Dutch", being the language that is spoken in Flanders and the Netherlands. (Sometimes Flemings say that they speak "Flemish", although their language is officially called Dutch. Just for your information: the difference between Flemish and Dutch is about the same as the difference between British and American English.)

This is the web page address: http://users.pandora.be/willy.vancammeren/NBC/nbc_maten.htm


BTW: I was born in Flanders but I consider myself as a Briton...

if you are proud of there being an *uperken*
(half-pint) can then maybe you should also be proud of
the originally dutch unit FIRKIN
the "fir" has something dutch to do with the
number four, and the firkin (say of butter) was
a FOURTH OF A BARRELL or so the dictionary says.
I picture it as a cylindrical wooden tub.
Wonder how many traditional English units are
of Dutch or generally lowcountry origin.

Thank you for the information, Conrad. I shall visit the site you mention and I predict that it will reveal that the Belgian/Flemish system of customary weights and measures will have similar features to British units - i.e. lots of friendly sounding names and using small numbers.

I'm reasonably well acquainted with Flanders. Many years ago my wife, children and I cycled around Flanders. We spent our second night at a place called Diksmuide, where there were World War I trenches with particularly gruesome exhibitions - and also some huge tower, which as I understand it (we went up it) was a Flemish national monument, full of Flemish paraphernalia rather than 'Belgian', as I recall it.

Both my wife and I are tremendous fans of Bruges - been there a few times

Tony,
the monument you saw in Diksmuide was the "IJzertoren" or the Yser Tower. (The Yser is the river that flows not far from it).
The tower was build during the First World War but bombed by the Germans during the Second. After the war the Flemings built a new one, even bigger than the original one. On the tower is written in 4 languages: "Never war again".
It symbolizes the desire for peace, the loathing for war and Flanders' aspiration to become an independent nation.