snaēža-

Grammatical information: v.

Meaning: `it snows' (Il.).

Other forms: Aor. νεῖψαι, νειφθῆναι, fut. νείψει. Cf. νίφ-α f. acc. sg. `(falling) snow' (Hes. Op. 535).

Compounds: Sometimes with prefix, e.g. κατα-. Compp., e.g. νιφ-ό-βολος `snow-covered' (Ar., E.), ἀγά-ννιφ-ος `with much snow' (A 420, Σ 186, Epich.; Sommer Nominalkomp. 64).

Derivatives: 1. νιφ-άδες pl., also sg. νιφ-άς, - άδος f. `snow-flake, snowstorm' (Il., Pi., trag.), as adj. `rich in snow' (S.); 2. νιφ-ετός m. `falling snow, snowstorm' (Il., Arist.; Schwyzer 501, Fraenkel Nom. ag. 1, 51 n.1; to be rejected Porzig Satzinhalte 245) with νιφετ-ώδης `connected with snow-fall' (Arist., Plb.); -- 3. νιφ-όεις `snowy, rich in snow' (Il.; on the formation Debrunner Άντίδωρον 28 f.).

Origin: IE [Indo-European] [974] * sneigʷʰ- `snow'

Etymology: The high-grade thematic root-present νείφει (νῑφέμεν M 280 wrong for νειφ-; Wackernagel Unt. 75), from which the other Greek verbal forms come, agrees with Av. snaēža- (e.g. subj. snaēžāt̃), OHG OE snīwan, Lith. sniẽg-a, -ti, perh. also Lat. nivit (only Pacuv., prob. ī), IE * sneigʷʰ-( eti ` it snows'; beside it with zero grade, also thematic, OIr. snigid `it drops, rains' (on the meaning below). A nasal present is found in Lat. ninguit = Lith. sniñga (: νείφει like linquō: λείπω, s.v.). Further, in meaning deviating, the zero-grade Skt. yotpresent sníhyati `gets wet, sticky', metaph. `finds affection', with sneha- `stickyness, affection etc.', with a shift of meaning from the mild climate as in Celtic (s. above); comparable in Greek, e.g. Nonn. D. 22, 283 αἵματι νείφεις of sticky blood, Lyc. 876 ὀμβρία νιφάς of rain-shower. Diff. Benveniste Μνήμης χάριν 1, 35 ff.: orig. meaning of IE * sneigʷʰ- `clot (together)'; thus Gonda KZ 72, 228 ff. One traces of the meaning `snow' in Mind. (Prākr. siṇeha- `snow' etc.) Turner BSOAS 18, 449ff. and 19, 375; s. Mayrhofer A.I.O.N. 1, 235). The noun acc. νίφ-α (nom. νιφετός, νιφάς, χιών; cf. Schwyzer 584) is identical with Lat. nix, nivis; IE * snigʷʰ-s ( ἀγά-ννιφ-ος \< *- snigʷʰ-); with dental enlargement (cf. νιφετός, but not identical) OIr. snechte `snow'; here prob. also νίβα χιόνα H. as Illyrian, Krahe IF 58, 133. Besides the o-stem IE * snoigʷho-s in Germ., e.g. Goth. snaiws, NHG Schnee, Slav., e.g. OCS sněgъ a.o. -- More forms in WP. 2, 695, Pok. 974, W.-Hofmann s. ninguit etc.

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