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): /ní.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

νῐ́φω • (nĭ́phō)

to snow
- 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Iliad 12.280
1. (impersonal) it snows
  - 446 BCE – 386 BCE, Aristophanes, The Acharnians 1141
2. (passive voice) to be snowed upon
  - 484 BCE – 425 BCE, Herodotus, The Histories 4.31
to rain
- 350 CE – 450 CE, Nonnus, Dionysiaca 22.283

Inflection

Present: νῐ́φω, νῐ́φομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	νῐ́φω	νῐ́φεις	νῐ́φει	νῐ́φετον	νῐ́φετον	νῐ́φομεν	νῐ́φετε	νῐ́φουσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	νῐ́φω	νῐ́φῃς	νῐ́φῃ	νῐ́φητον	νῐ́φητον	νῐ́φωμεν	νῐ́φητε	νῐ́φωσῐ(ν)
	optative	νῐ́φοιμῐ	νῐ́φοις	νῐ́φοι	νῐ́φοιτον	νῐφοίτην	νῐ́φοιμεν	νῐ́φοιτε	νῐ́φοιεν
	imperative		νῐ́φε	νῐφέτω	νῐ́φετον	νῐφέτων		νῐ́φετε	νῐφόντων
middle/ passive	indicative	νῐ́φομαι	νῐ́φῃ / νῐ́φει	νῐ́φεται	νῐ́φεσθον	νῐ́φεσθον	νῐφόμεθᾰ	νῐ́φεσθε	νῐ́φονται
	subjunctive	νῐ́φωμαι	νῐ́φῃ	νῐ́φηται	νῐ́φησθον	νῐ́φησθον	νῐφώμεθᾰ	νῐ́φησθε	νῐ́φωνται
	optative	νῐφοίμην	νῐ́φοιο	νῐ́φοιτο	νῐ́φοισθον	νῐφοίσθην	νῐφοίμεθᾰ	νῐ́φοισθε	νῐ́φοιντο
	imperative		νῐ́φου	νῐφέσθω	νῐ́φεσθον	νῐφέσθων		νῐ́φεσθε	νῐφέσθων
		active				middle/passive
infinitive		νῐ́φειν				νῐ́φεσθαι
participle	m	νῐ́φων				νῐφόμενος
	f	νῐ́φουσᾰ				νῐφομένη
	n	νῐ́φον				νῐφόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Present: νῐ́φω, νῐ́φομαι (Epic)

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	νῐ́φω	νῐ́φεις	νῐ́φει	νῐ́φετον	νῐ́φετον	νῐ́φομεν	νῐ́φετε	νῐ́φουσῐ(ν)
	subjunctive	νῐ́φω, νῐ́φωμῐ	νῐ́φῃς, νῐ́φῃσθᾰ	νῐ́φῃ, νῐ́φῃσῐ	νῐ́φητον	νῐ́φητον	νῐ́φωμεν	νῐ́φητε	νῐ́φωσῐ(ν)
	optative	νῐ́φοιμῐ	νῐ́φοισ(θᾰ)	νῐ́φοι	νῐ́φοιτον	νῐφοίτην	νῐ́φοιμεν	νῐ́φοιτε	νῐ́φοιεν
	imperative		νῐ́φε	νῐφέτω	νῐ́φετον	νῐφέτων		νῐ́φετε	νῐφόντων
middle/ passive	indicative	νῐ́φομαι	νῐ́φεαι	νῐ́φεται	νῐ́φεσθον	νῐ́φεσθον	νῐφόμε(σ)θᾰ	νῐ́φεσθε	νῐ́φονται
	subjunctive	νῐ́φωμαι	νῐ́φηαι	νῐ́φηται	νῐ́φησθον	νῐ́φησθον	νῐφώμε(σ)θᾰ	νῐ́φησθε	νῐ́φωνται
	optative	νῐφοίμην	νῐ́φοιο	νῐ́φοιτο	νῐ́φοισθον	νῐφοίσθην	νῐφοίμε(σ)θᾰ	νῐ́φοισθε	νῐφοίᾰτο
	imperative		νῐ́φεο	νῐφέσθω	νῐ́φεσθον	νῐφέσθων		νῐ́φεσθε	νῐφέσθων
		active				middle/passive
infinitive		νῐ́φειν / νῐφέμεν(αι) / νῐ́φμεν(αι)				νῐ́φεσθαι
participle	m	νῐ́φων				νῐφόμενος
	f	νῐ́φουσᾰ				νῐφομένη
	n	νῐ́φον				νῐφόμενον
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: ἔνῐφον, ἐνῐφόμην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἔνῐφον	ἔνῐφες	ἔνῐφε(ν)	ἐνῐ́φετον	ἐνῐφέτην	ἐνῐ́φομεν	ἐνῐ́φετε	ἔνῐφον
middle/ passive	indicative	ἐνῐφόμην	ἐνῐ́φου	ἐνῐ́φετο	ἐνῐ́φεσθον	ἐνῐφέσθην	ἐνῐφόμεθᾰ	ἐνῐ́φεσθε	ἐνῐ́φοντο
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Future: νῐ́ψω, νῐ́ψομαι

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	νῐ́ψω	νῐ́ψεις	νῐ́ψει	νῐ́ψετον	νῐ́ψετον	νῐ́ψομεν	νῐ́ψετε	νῐ́ψουσῐ(ν)
active	optative	νῐ́ψοιμῐ	νῐ́ψοις	νῐ́ψοι	νῐ́ψοιτον	νῐψοίτην	νῐ́ψοιμεν	νῐ́ψοιτε	νῐ́ψοιεν
middle	indicative	νῐ́ψομαι	νῐ́ψῃ / νῐ́ψει	νῐ́ψεται	νῐ́ψεσθον	νῐ́ψεσθον	νῐψόμεθᾰ	νῐ́ψεσθε	νῐ́ψονται
middle	optative	νῐψοίμην	νῐ́ψοιο	νῐ́ψοιτο	νῐ́ψοισθον	νῐψοίσθην	νῐψοίμεθᾰ	νῐ́ψοισθε	νῐ́ψοιντο
		active			middle
infinitive		νῐ́ψειν			νῐ́ψεσθαι
participle	m	νῐ́ψων			νῐψόμενος
	f	νῐ́ψουσᾰ			νῐψομένη
	n	νῐ́ψον			νῐψόμενον
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Aorist: ἔνῐψᾰ, ἐνῐψᾰ́μην, ἐνῐ́φθην

number		singular			dual		plural
		first	second	third	second	third	first	second	third
active	indicative	ἔνῐψᾰ	ἔνῐψᾰς	ἔνῐψε(ν)	ἐνῐ́ψᾰτον	ἐνῐψᾰ́την	ἐνῐ́ψᾰμεν	ἐνῐ́ψᾰτε	ἔνῐψᾰν
	subjunctive	νῐ́ψω	νῐ́ψῃς	νῐ́ψῃ	νῐ́ψητον	νῐ́ψητον	νῐ́ψωμεν	νῐ́ψητε	νῐ́ψωσῐ(ν)
	optative	νῐ́ψαιμῐ	νῐ́ψειᾰς / νῐ́ψαις	νῐ́ψειε(ν) / νῐ́ψαι	νῐ́ψαιτον	νῐψαίτην	νῐ́ψαιμεν	νῐ́ψαιτε	νῐ́ψειᾰν / νῐ́ψαιεν
	imperative		νῐ́ψον	νῐψᾰ́τω	νῐ́ψᾰτον	νῐψᾰ́των		νῐ́ψᾰτε	νῐψᾰ́ντων
middle	indicative	ἐνῐψᾰ́μην	ἐνῐ́ψω	ἐνῐ́ψᾰτο	ἐνῐ́ψᾰσθον	ἐνῐψᾰ́σθην	ἐνῐψᾰ́μεθᾰ	ἐνῐ́ψᾰσθε	ἐνῐ́ψᾰντο
	subjunctive	νῐ́ψωμαι	νῐ́ψῃ	νῐ́ψηται	νῐ́ψησθον	νῐ́ψησθον	νῐψώμεθᾰ	νῐ́ψησθε	νῐ́ψωνται
	optative	νῐψαίμην	νῐ́ψαιο	νῐ́ψαιτο	νῐ́ψαισθον	νῐψαίσθην	νῐψαίμεθᾰ	νῐ́ψαισθε	νῐ́ψαιντο
	imperative		νῐ́ψαι	νῐψᾰ́σθω	νῐ́ψᾰσθον	νῐψᾰ́σθων		νῐ́ψᾰσθε	νῐψᾰ́σθων
passive	indicative	ἐνῐ́φθην	ἐνῐ́φθης	ἐνῐ́φθη	ἐνῐ́φθητον	ἐνῐφθήτην	ἐνῐ́φθημεν	ἐνῐ́φθητε	ἐνῐ́φθησᾰν
	subjunctive	νῐφθῶ	νῐφθῇς	νῐφθῇ	νῐφθῆτον	νῐφθῆτον	νῐφθῶμεν	νῐφθῆτε	νῐφθῶσῐ(ν)
	optative	νῐφθείην	νῐφθείης	νῐφθείη	νῐφθεῖτον / νῐφθείητον	νῐφθείτην / νῐφθειήτην	νῐφθεῖμεν / νῐφθείημεν	νῐφθεῖτε / νῐφθείητε	νῐφθεῖεν / νῐφθείησᾰν
	imperative		νῐ́φθητῐ	νῐφθήτω	νῐ́φθητον	νῐφθήτων		νῐ́φθητε	νῐφθέντων
		active			middle		passive
infinitive		νῐ́ψαι			νῐ́ψᾰσθαι		νῐφθῆναι
participle	m	νῐ́ψᾱς			νῐψᾰ́μενος		νῐφθείς
	f	νῐ́ψᾱσᾰ			νῐψᾰμένη		νῐφθεῖσᾰ
	n	νῐ́ψᾰν			νῐψᾰ́μενον		νῐφθέν
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For conjugation in dialects other than Attic, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal conjugation.

Derived terms

ἐπῐνίφω (epĭníphō)
κᾰτᾰνῐ́φω (kătănĭ́phō)
ῠ̔πονίφω (hŭponíphō)

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