Words for rain in Galicia

Ever heard the legend of the Inuit? The legend claims the Inuit have more as 200 words to describe snow. It results the legend isn’t real. There aren’t more words to describe snow than in the English language. 
Would this legend become true in Galicia? The region is known as the most rainy region of Spain. The stereotype of Galicia by Spaniards it’s always raining (what is not true).

Professor Elvira Fidalgo of the University of Santiago de Compostela did a study to the origin and amount of words for rain in Gallego, the language of Galicia. Conclusion: there are more then 70 words to describe rain in Gallego!
Originally in the Roman era, there was just one word to describe rain: pluvia.  In time people discovered that rain was different by the form in which it fell. And so the words to describe rain grew to the actual 70 words. 

In the video below the research is presented and some of the Galician words for rain are illustrated. 


Does the Galician language has more words to describe rain as the Spanish or English language? Also in these languages there are many words to describe rainfall then the umbrella concept rain (pun intended)

Words to describe rain in Gallego 

Some examples of Galician words for rain. 

  • Choiva = rain
  • Sarabiada = rain that falls on ice and snow
  • Torbón = rain with lightning and thunder
  • Battuere = an intense rain
  • Froallo = drizzle

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