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Word of the day: שלג – snow

10 December 2016

The Hebrew word for "snow" is שֶׁלֶג sheleg.

Instead of "it is snowing", one says שלג יורד sheleg yored, literally "snow is descending".

בחרמון ירד שלג כבד, ואף ייתכן שלג בפסגות הרי הצפון.
Ba-Chermon yarad sheleg kaved, ve-af yitachen sheleg be-fisgot harei ha-tzafon.
It snowed heavily at Mount Hermon, and snowfall is even possible on the northern mountain peaks.

(Source: Walla)

Notice the three-part smichut construction in the end – literally, "on the peaks of the mountains of the North". Note also that in spoken language, one would usually say be-pisgot, or even be-psagot.

The Hebrew word for "snowy" is מֻשְׁלָג ~ מושלג mushlag – a huf'al participle (though the corresponding verbal forms, like השליג or הושלג, are not used): יום מושלג yom mushlag "a snowy day", פסגה מושלגת pisga mushleget "a snow-covered peak".

שִׁלְגִּיָּה ~ שלגייה shilgiya is Snow White or Snowmaiden, a fairy tale character.

Listen to the Naomi Shemer's song שלג על עירי Sheleg al iri "Snow over my town":

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