jengkal

Jengkal is a traditional unit of length used in Indonesia and Malaysia. It represents the span of the hand, defined as the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger when the hand is fully extended. The jengkal is a non-SI measurement that has historically been used in farming, carpentry, and everyday life to give rough dimensions.

Because it is based on a human hand, the exact length of a jengkal varies between individuals and regions. Contemporary estimates typically place one jengkal in the range of about 18–22 centimeters, with many sources citing around 20 centimeters as a common value. In practice, it is treated as a rough measure rather than a precise unit.

With the widespread adoption of the metric system in Indonesia and Malaysia, the jengkal is now mainly encountered in cultural, historical, or traditional contexts, as well as in some crafts or rural discourse. It is analogous to the English notion of a hand span and is related to other hand-based units such as the palm or the cubit in different cultures.

Etymology and usage notes: the term derives from Malay and Indonesian linguistic traditions. While not part of modern official measurements, the jengkal remains a reference point in historical texts, folklore, and traditional practices, illustrating how cultures measure space using the body as a reference.