sneachda
/ʃɲɛ̃xk(ə)/masculine
The Gaelic word for snow is sneachda. Wiktionary also lists sneachd.
Meaning: partly frozen, crystalline state of water that falls from the atmosphere as precipitation in flakes, falling of such flakes, accumulation of them as a white layer (noun)
Ways to say it
| Gaelic | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sneachda | /ʃɲɛ̃xk(ə)/ (Lewis) /ʃɲaxkə/ |
masculine |
| sneachd | masculine |
Snow refers to the crystalline state of water that falls from the atmosphere as flakes, the act of these flakes falling or the accumulation of them as a white layer.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Scotland, such as the Hebrides, locals may refer to snow as sneachd.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Both forms are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃɲɛ̃xk(ə)/
Did you know?
- In Gaelic folklore, the arrival of sneachda is sometimes associated with the 'Cailleach', a divine hag or creator deity who is said to bring the winter frost and snow to the highlands.
- If you are talking about a single snowflake, Gaelic often uses a descriptive phrase rather than a single noun like the English 'snowflake'.
- The spelling of sneachda hides a slender consonant sound, where the 'ch' is produced further back in the throat than the English 'ch' in 'cheese'.
Examples in context
- 'S toil leam sneachd.I like snow.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for sneachd.Tatoeba #2890669 by jeltzz, translation #1642586 by CK
Example conversation
Angus and Eilidh are looking out the window.
- AngusSeall air a' sneachda!Look at the snow!
- EilidhTha e gu math gu h-àlainn.It is very beautiful.
- AngusAn tòisich an sneachda anocht?Did the snow start tonight?
- EilidhTha, thòisich e an uairead.Yes, it started an hour ago.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snow” translations and entries sneachda, sneachd, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
