Olchovchi

Olchovchi is a term used in several Turkic-language communities to refer to a person who weighs goods, typically in markets and warehouses. The word combines a root meaning weighing with the agent suffix -chi, yielding a function or role: a weigher or the one who weighs.

Historically, an olchovchi operated balances and standard weights to determine the mass of commodities such as grain, fruit, textiles, or livestock. This work supported price calculations, taxation, and fair exchange in marketplaces, caravanserais, and shopfronts. In many contexts, the olchovchi was expected to uphold locally agreed weights and measures, sometimes acting under the supervision of market authorities or metrological regulations.

In modern times, the occupation has declined in urban areas due to digital scales and formal metrology, but it persists in rural markets and traditional trading centers. The duties and social status of an olchovchi vary by country and language, and the term may be used descriptively or informally to denote someone who weighs items on behalf of others.

Regional usage of the term spans several Central Asian and Turkic-speaking communities, where traditional weighing practices have historically complemented or competed with standardized commercial methods. The concept emphasizes the broader role of metrology and fair trade in everyday commerce.

See also: Metrology, Weighing scale, Trade regulation.