νείφει
κάμψαι διαύλου θάτερον κῶλον πάλιν → bend back along the second turn of the race, turning the bend and coming back for the second leg of the double run, run the homeward course, retrace one's steps
Frisk Etymological English
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 Ἀντίδωρον 28 f.).
Origin: IE [Indo-European] [974] *sneigʷʰ- snow
Etymology: The high-grade thematic root-present νείφει (νιφέμεν 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.
