Scotland Has 421 Words For Snow

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10 May 2024

According to a CNN report, Scots have 421 words for snow, from "sneesl" to "skelf"


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Lexicographers at the University of Glasgow say they have tracked down hundreds of quirky, lesser-known ways of describing wintry weather


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"Snaw-pouther" is driving snow, "spitters" are small rain or snow drops


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"Feefle" swirls snow around corners, "feuchter" falls lightly, "flindrikin" is slight snow-shower


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Weather's importance in Scots' lives reflected in diverse snow vocabulary


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Susan Rennie, lecturer, emphasizes ancestral need to communicate about weather


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Roibeard O Maolalaigh hopes the thesaurus reveals Scots language richness


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Team acknowledges potential existence of more snow terms needing cataloguing


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Public input welcomed for undiscovered snow words and weather-related vocabulary contributions


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Future efforts include expanding lexicon to encompass words for rain


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