νίφα

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Accusative singular of unattested *νίψ (*níps), reflecting Proto-Indo-European *snígʷʰs (“snow”), root noun derived from *sneygʷʰ- (“to snow”) (whence also Ancient Greek νίφω (níphō)).

Direct cognates include Latin nix and Old Irish snechtae and indirectly also Sanskrit स्नेह (sneha) and Old English snāw and snīwan (English snow and snew).

Noun

νίφα • (nípha)

1. snow

Derived terms

• νῐφᾰργής (niphargḗs)
• νῐφᾰ́ς (niphás)
• νῐφοβλής (niphoblḗs)
• νῐφοβολῐ́ᾱ (niphobolíā)
• νῐφοβόλος (niphobólos)
• νῐφόεις (niphóeis)
• νῐφόκτῠπος (niphóktupos)
• νῐφοστῐβής (niphostibḗs)

 

References

• “νίφα”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “νίφα”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• νίφα in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette