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Funny, as "Tonne" is the german word for barrel or cask. And also for a metric ton, equaling 1000 kilograms, or 2000 german "Pfund", i.e. pounds.

Same origin; the extant word in English is "tun" for the barrel, and a ton was equal to the mass of the contents of a tun.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ton#English

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tun#English

https://www.etymonline.com/word/ton#etymonline_v_15357

So an American short ton and a German metric tonne are both 2000 pounds....but the pounds are not the same!

Besides these things, in Dutch, a ton can also mean €100.000.

Same in the UK for £100, and also for driving at 1oo mph.

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