In Finnish there are numerous words to describe the different forms of snow:
lumi: snow
pyry: snow shower
myräkkä: snowstorm
rae: hail
räntä: sleet
tuisku: snow shower with strong wind
laviini: a small avalanche
hyhmä: snow floating atop water
loska: very wet snow; snow, water and mud mixed together
sohjo: slush; snow and water mixed together
ahto: pack-ice (broken & refrozen ice)
ahtauma: a formation of pack-ice
jää: ice
kide: ice crystal
kohva: gray ice formed from wet snow
paanne: multi-layered ice (typically waves crash on top and freeze)
railo: pressure ridge in ice
röpelö: uneven ice
tökkö: ice with frost on top
iljanne: a thin layer of snow atop ice
hanki: a even layer of snow on the ground, esp. if enough for skiing
huurre: rime; granular frost (the white stuff in your freezer)
härmä: frost
kinos: snow drift; a loose pile of snow, esp. one formed by wind
kaljama: a thick layer of ice on the ground, lethal in the spring
kuura: hoarfrost; frozen dew
nietos: a large, hard pile of snow (may be refrozen)
nuoska: "snowballable” snow, usually formed when powdery snow melts a bit
polanne: a hard layer of compacted snow
tykky: large chunks of snow, esp. when frozen onto trees
viti: freshly fallen powdery snow
avanto: a hole in ice
jotos: reindeer tracks in snow
latu: a ski trail in snow
rannio: a reindeer path in deep snow
Sources:
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Wiktionary: loskakeli
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Welcome to my Finland, Finnish words for snow
14 comments
Andy Rodker said:
Sami Serola (inactiv… replied to Andy Rodker:
For example "kohva" is new to me. As Finn, I kind of could have been guessed what it means (before reading the explanation), but never used that word myself.
Ulrich John said:
Karl Hartwig Schütz said:
Boarischa Krautmo said:
thought of Smilla, too.....
niraK68 said:
Wierd Folkersma said:
Amelia said:
Bergfex said:
Annemarie said:
This is great Sami, love the documentation too
Annemarie said:
raingirl said:
cool photo. i like the juxtaposition of the water drops with the snow background.
favorite finnish snow word? i go for hyhmä: snow floating atop water - that sound beautiful.
malona said:
Xata said: