névé

[ ney-vey ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

granular snow accumulated on high mountains and subsequently compacted into glacial ice.
a field of such snow.

névé

/ ˈnɛveɪ /

noun

Also calledfirn a mass of porous ice, formed from snow, that has not yet become frozen into glacier ice
a snowfield at the head of a glacier that becomes transformed into ice

névé

/ nā-vā′ /

The upper part of a glacier, consisting of hardened snow.
The granular snow typically found in such a field.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of névé¹

1850–55; < Franco-Provençal < Vulgar Latin *nivātum, noun use of neuter of Latin nivātus snow-cooled, equivalent to niv- (stem of nix snow ) + -ātus -ate ¹

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Word History and Origins

Origin of névé¹

C19: from Swiss French névé glacier, from Late Latin nivātus snow-cooled, from nix snow

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