Gàidhlig / English
Spiandagan Sneachd

Spiandagan Sneachd

Posted by Alana on 4th December 2014

This week’s word of the week hails from the Isle of Harris, and is a very fitting term for this time of year when the cold nights are drawing in. The phrase spiandagan sneachd (i.e. spìontagan sneachd) is used to describe a few flakes of snow floating in the wind.

The phrase above refers to light snow. In South Uist they would use the phrase stradagan de sneachda to describe a similar scene as they would in Harris. When this kind of weather comes around and lies you could use the term streafann sneachda meaning that there was only a light covering of snow on the ground. This phrase came from North Uist. On the other hand, the words cithean sneachda would describe a heavy shower of snow.

We hope that these phrases will become useful to you since the festive season is fast approaching.

For more information about the phrase spiandagan sneachd, and indeed more snow related terms please refer to Cànan & Cultar/Language & Culture, Rannsachadh na Gàidhlig 4 by Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh.

Are you familiar with the term spiandagan sneachd? Why don’t you tell us about it on Facebook or Twitter?

 

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