der  Scheffel

C1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈʃɛfl̩/

🌾 What exactly is a Scheffel?

Der Scheffel is a historical German unit of dry volume (a Hohlmaß), primarily used for bulk goods like grain (Getreide) or salt (Salz). It was roughly equivalent to the English bushel, but its size varied significantly depending on the region and time period (ranging from about 20 to over 300 liters).

Additionally, der Scheffel was also used as a unit of land area (a Flächenmaß), specifically the area that could be sown with one Scheffel of seed. This measurement also varied greatly by region.

Today, the Scheffel as a unit of measurement is obsolete (veraltet) and no longer used in everyday life, except in historical contexts or idioms (Redewendungen).

⚠️ It only takes the masculine article: der Scheffel.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of 'der Scheffel'

The noun "Scheffel" is masculine.

Example Sentences

• Früher maß der Bauer das Getreide in Scheffeln.
  (In the past, the farmer measured the grain in Scheffels.)
• Ein Scheffel Korn war eine wertvolle Ware.
  (A Scheffel of grain was a valuable commodity.)
• Die Größe eines Scheffels war regional sehr unterschiedlich.
  (The size of a Scheffel varied greatly by region.)

🕰️ Usage Then and Now

Historically: Der Scheffel was a common unit of measurement in agriculture (Landwirtschaft) and trade (Handel) until the 19th century. It was used to measure taxes (Abgaben, e.g., the tithe or Zehnt), wages paid in kind (Löhne in Naturalien), and trade quantities.

Modern: Today, the term is found almost exclusively in:

• Historical texts: In books or documents dealing with history.
• Museums: As an exhibit, often alongside other old weights and measures.
• Idioms (Redewendungen): The most famous is "sein Licht nicht unter den Scheffel stellen", which means "not to hide one's light under a bushel" (i.e., not to conceal one's abilities or talents).

So, the term is primarily of historical and idiomatic interest.

🧠 Mnemonics to Remember

Article Mnemonic: Think of DER old farMER measuring his grain with DER Scheffel. The masculine article 'der' fits the farmer.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine someone having to shovel grain – Scheffel sounds a bit like shovel, and it was the container (like a bushel) used for it.

🔄 Synonyms & Related Terms

Since "Scheffel" is a specific (though variable) unit of measure, there are no exact synonyms in modern usage.

Related Terms (Historical Measures):

• Hohlmaß: (Dry volume measure) - The general category Scheffel belongs to.
• Getreidemaß: (Grain measure) - A more specific category.
• Malter: Often a larger grain measure (e.g., 4 or more Scheffels).
• Metze, Simmer, Viertel: Often smaller subdivisions of a Scheffel.
• Morgen, Joch: Other historical land area measures (not directly interchangeable with Scheffel as an area unit).

Antonyms: There are no direct antonyms for a unit of measurement.

🚨 Caution: Don't equate Scheffel directly with modern units like liters or hectares, as its size varied significantly.

😄 A Little Joke

Warum hat der alte Müller seinen Scheffel weggeworfen?
Er fand, das Maß war voll!

(Why did the old miller throw away his Scheffel?
He thought its measure was full! / He thought he'd had enough! - It's a pun on "das Maß ist voll" meaning "I've had enough").

📜 Poem about the Scheffel

Der Bauer auf dem Felde stand,
den alten Scheffel in der Hand.
Er maß das Korn, so gut er's kennt,
ein Maß, das heut' kaum einer nennt.
Doch in Geschichten lebt er fort,
ein längst vergang'ner, wichtiger Ort.

(The farmer stood upon the field,
the old Scheffel in his hand revealed.
He measured grain, as he knew best,
a measure now hardly put to test.
But it lives on in tales of yore,
a long-gone, vital place once more.)

❓ Riddle Time

Ich maß das Korn vor langer Zeit,
mal groß, mal klein, je nach Gebiet.
Man sät' mit mir auch Äcker ein,
heut' bin ich meist nur alter Schein.
In Sprichwörtern hörst du noch von mir.

Was bin ich, sag es hier?

(I measured grain long, long ago,
sometimes large, sometimes low, depending where you'd go.
With me, they also sowed the land,
today I'm mostly just old sand (or: old appearance).
In proverbs, you can still hear my name.

What am I, tell me this game?)

Solution: Der Scheffel

💡 Other Interesting Facts

Regional Diversity (Regionale Vielfalt): The extreme variation in the size of the Scheffel (e.g., the Prussian Scheffel was about 55 liters, while the Saxon Scheffel was over 100 liters) made trade between regions difficult. This was one reason for the later introduction of standardized metric units like the liter and kilogram.

The Bible and the Scheffel: The idiom "sein Licht nicht unter den Scheffel stellen" ("not hide one's light under a bushel") originates from the Bible (Matthew 5:15). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses this imagery. However, the original Greek word was 'módios', a Roman dry measure (about 8.7 liters), which Martin Luther translated into German as 'Scheffel'.