Miscellaneous Facts

#10. Sneesl

FUN FACT #10

Scotland has 421 names for snow!

For instance;

Spitters - small drops or flakes of wind-driven snow

Unbark - the beginning of a thaw

Feefle - swirling snow

Sneesl - to start raining or snowing.

This is what Dr Susan Rennie, who is a lecturer in the Scottish language, had to say about it, "Weather has been a vital part of people's lives in Scotland for centuries. The number and variety of words in the language show how important it was for our ancestors to communicate about the weather, which could so easily affect their livelihoods."

Another everyday item that has multiple names is marbles.

****