νίφω

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

νείφω (neíphō) — Epic

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *sneygʷʰ-. Cognates include Latin ningit, Sanskrit स्नेहति (snehati), Old English snīwan (English snew). By surface analysis, νῐ́ψ (nĭ́ps, “snow”) +‎ -ω (-ō).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /nǐː.pʰɔː/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈni.pʰo/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /ˈni.ɸo/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /ˈni.fo/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ˈni.fo/

Verb

νῑ́φω • (nī́phō)

to snow
- c. 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 12.280
1. (impersonal) it snows
  - 425 BCE, Aristophanes, The Acharnians 1141
2. (passive voice) to be snowed upon
  - 484 BCE – 425 BCE, Herodotus, The Histories 4.31
to rain
- c. 450 CE – 470 CE, Nonnus, Dionysiaca 22.283

Conjugation

Present: νῑ́φω, νῑ́φομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	νῑ́φω	νῑ́φεις	νῑ́φει	νῑ́φετον	νῑ́φετον	νῑ́φομεν	νῑ́φετε	νῑ́φουσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	νῑ́φω	νῑ́φῃς	νῑ́φῃ	νῑ́φητον	νῑ́φητον	νῑ́φωμεν	νῑ́φητε	νῑ́φωσῐ(ν)
	optative	νῑ́φοιμῐ	νῑ́φοις	νῑ́φοι	νῑ́φοιτον	νῑφοίτην	νῑ́φοιμεν	νῑ́φοιτε	νῑ́φοιεν
	imperative		νῖφε	νῑφέτω	νῑ́φετον	νῑφέτων		νῑ́φετε	νῑφόντων
middle/passive	indicative	νῑ́φομαι	νῑ́φῃ, νῑ́φει	νῑ́φεται	νῑ́φεσθον	νῑ́φεσθον	νῑφόμεθᾰ	νῑ́φεσθε	νῑ́φονται
	subjunctive	νῑ́φωμαι	νῑ́φῃ	νῑ́φηται	νῑ́φησθον	νῑ́φησθον	νῑφώμεθᾰ	νῑ́φησθε	νῑ́φωνται
	optative	νῑφοίμην	νῑ́φοιο	νῑ́φοιτο	νῑ́φοισθον	νῑφοίσθην	νῑφοίμεθᾰ	νῑ́φοισθε	νῑ́φοιντο
	imperative		νῑ́φου	νῑφέσθω	νῑ́φεσθον	νῑφέσθων		νῑ́φεσθε	νῑφέσθων
		active				middle/passive
infinitive		νῑ́φειν				νῑ́φεσθαι
participle	m	νῑ́φων				νῑφόμενος
	f	νῑ́φουσᾰ				νῑφομένη
	n	νῖφον				νῑφόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Present: νῑ́φω, νῑ́φομαι (Epic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	νῑ́φω	νῑ́φεις	νῑ́φει	νῑ́φετον	νῑ́φετον	νῑ́φομεν	νῑ́φετε	νῑ́φουσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	νῑ́φω, νῑ́φωμῐ	νῑ́φῃς, νῑ́φῃσθᾰ	νῑ́φῃ, νῑ́φῃσῐ(ν)	νῑ́φητον	νῑ́φητον	νῑ́φωμεν	νῑ́φητε	νῑ́φωσῐ(ν)
	optative	νῑ́φοιμῐ	νῑ́φοις, νῑ́φοισθᾰ	νῑ́φοι	νῑ́φοιτον	νῑφοίτην	νῑ́φοιμεν	νῑ́φοιτε	νῑ́φοιεν
	imperative		νῖφε	νῑφέτω	νῑ́φετον	νῑφέτων		νῑ́φετε	νῑφόντων
middle/passive	indicative	νῑ́φομαι	νῑ́φεαι, νῑ́φῃ	νῑ́φεται	νῑ́φεσθον	νῑ́φεσθον	νῑφόμε(σ)θᾰ	νῑ́φεσθε	νῑ́φονται
	subjunctive	νῑ́φωμαι	νῑ́φηαι, νῑ́φῃ	νῑ́φηται	νῑ́φησθον	νῑ́φησθον	νῑφώμε(σ)θᾰ	νῑ́φησθε	νῑ́φωνται
	optative	νῑφοίμην	νῑ́φοιο	νῑ́φοιτο	νῑ́φοισθον	νῑφοίσθην	νῑφοίμε(σ)θᾰ	νῑ́φοισθε	νῑφοίᾰτο
	imperative		νῑ́φεο, νῑ́φευ	νῑφέσθω	νῑ́φεσθον	νῑφέσθων		νῑ́φεσθε	νῑφέσθων
		active				middle/passive
infinitive		νῑ́φειν, νῑφέμεν(αι), νῑφμέναι				νῑ́φεσθαι
participle	m	νῑ́φων				νῑφόμενος
	f	νῑ́φουσᾰ				νῑφομένη
	n	νῖφον				νῑφόμενον
Notes:	Dialects other than Attic are not well attested. Some forms are based on conjecture. Use with caution. For more details, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Imperfect: ἔνῑφον, ἐνῑφόμην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἔνῑφον	ἔνῑφες	ἔνῑφε(ν)	ἐνῑ́φετον	ἐνῑφέτην	ἐνῑ́φομεν	ἐνῑ́φετε	ἔνῑφον
middle/passive	indicative	ἐνῑφόμην	ἐνῑ́φου	ἐνῑ́φετο	ἐνῑ́φεσθον	ἐνῑφέσθην	ἐνῑφόμεθᾰ	ἐνῑ́φεσθε	ἐνῑ́φοντο
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Future: νῑ́ψω, νῑ́ψομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	νῑ́ψω	νῑ́ψεις	νῑ́ψει	νῑ́ψετον	νῑ́ψετον	νῑ́ψομεν	νῑ́ψετε	νῑ́ψουσῐ(ν)
active	optative	νῑ́ψοιμῐ	νῑ́ψοις	νῑ́ψοι	νῑ́ψοιτον	νῑψοίτην	νῑ́ψοιμεν	νῑ́ψοιτε	νῑ́ψοιεν
middle	indicative	νῑ́ψομαι	νῑ́ψῃ, νῑ́ψει	νῑ́ψεται	νῑ́ψεσθον	νῑ́ψεσθον	νῑψόμεθᾰ	νῑ́ψεσθε	νῑ́ψονται
middle	optative	νῑψοίμην	νῑ́ψοιο	νῑ́ψοιτο	νῑ́ψοισθον	νῑψοίσθην	νῑψοίμεθᾰ	νῑ́ψοισθε	νῑ́ψοιντο
		active			middle
infinitive		νῑ́ψειν			νῑ́ψεσθαι
participle	m	νῑ́ψων			νῑψόμενος
	f	νῑ́ψουσᾰ			νῑψομένη
	n	νῖψον			νῑψόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Aorist: ἔνῑψᾰ, ἐνῑψᾰ́μην, ἐνῑ́φθην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἔνῑψᾰ	ἔνῑψᾰς	ἔνῑψε(ν)	ἐνῑ́ψᾰτον	ἐνῑψᾰ́την	ἐνῑ́ψᾰμεν	ἐνῑ́ψᾰτε	ἔνῑψᾰν
	subjunctive	νῑ́ψω	νῑ́ψῃς	νῑ́ψῃ	νῑ́ψητον	νῑ́ψητον	νῑ́ψωμεν	νῑ́ψητε	νῑ́ψωσῐ(ν)
	optative	νῑ́ψαιμῐ	νῑ́ψειᾰς, νῑ́ψαις	νῑ́ψειε(ν), νῑ́ψαι	νῑ́ψαιτον	νῑψαίτην	νῑ́ψαιμεν	νῑ́ψαιτε	νῑ́ψειᾰν, νῑ́ψαιεν
	imperative		νῖψον	νῑψᾰ́τω	νῑ́ψᾰτον	νῑψᾰ́των		νῑ́ψᾰτε	νῑψᾰ́ντων
middle	indicative	ἐνῑψᾰ́μην	ἐνῑ́ψω	ἐνῑ́ψᾰτο	ἐνῑ́ψᾰσθον	ἐνῑψᾰ́σθην	ἐνῑψᾰ́μεθᾰ	ἐνῑ́ψᾰσθε	ἐνῑ́ψᾰντο
	subjunctive	νῑ́ψωμαι	νῑ́ψῃ	νῑ́ψηται	νῑ́ψησθον	νῑ́ψησθον	νῑψώμεθᾰ	νῑ́ψησθε	νῑ́ψωνται
	optative	νῑψαίμην	νῑ́ψαιο	νῑ́ψαιτο	νῑ́ψαισθον	νῑψαίσθην	νῑψαίμεθᾰ	νῑ́ψαισθε	νῑ́ψαιντο
	imperative		νῖψαι	νῑψᾰ́σθω	νῑ́ψᾰσθον	νῑψᾰ́σθων		νῑ́ψᾰσθε	νῑψᾰ́σθων
passive	indicative	ἐνῑ́φθην	ἐνῑ́φθης	ἐνῑ́φθη	ἐνῑ́φθητον	ἐνῑφθήτην	ἐνῑ́φθημεν	ἐνῑ́φθητε	ἐνῑ́φθησᾰν
	subjunctive	νῑφθῶ	νῑφθῇς	νῑφθῇ	νῑφθῆτον	νῑφθῆτον	νῑφθῶμεν	νῑφθῆτε	νῑφθῶσῐ(ν)
	optative	νῑφθείην	νῑφθείης	νῑφθείη	νῑφθεῖτον, νῑφθείητον	νῑφθείτην, νῑφθειήτην	νῑφθεῖμεν, νῑφθείημεν	νῑφθεῖτε, νῑφθείητε	νῑφθεῖεν, νῑφθείησᾰν
	imperative		νῑ́φθητῐ	νῑφθήτω	νῑ́φθητον	νῑφθήτων		νῑ́φθητε	νῑφθέντων
		active			middle		passive
infinitive		νῖψαι			νῑ́ψᾰσθαι		νῑφθῆναι
participle	m	νῑ́ψᾱς			νῑψᾰ́μενος		νῑφθείς
	f	νῑ́ψᾱσᾰ			νῑψᾰμένη		νῑφθεῖσᾰ
	n	νῖψᾰν			νῑψᾰ́μενον		νῑφθέν
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Derived terms

ἐπῐνῑ́φω (epĭnī́phō)
κᾰτᾰνῑ́φω (kătănī́phō)
ῠ̔πονῑ́φω (hŭponī́phō)

Related terms

νῑ́ψ (nī́ps)

References

“νίφω”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“νίφω”, in Liddell & Scott (1889), An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
“νίφω”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891), A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
νίφω in Bailly, Anatole (1935), Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
νίφω in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924), A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), “νείφει”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 1003