nix

Forms

nix f (genitive nivis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *sniks, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *snígʷʰs (“snow”), a root noun from *sneygʷʰ- (“to snow”).^[1][2] The nominative ⟨nix⟩ continues ⟨*sniks⟩, and the genitive ⟨nivis⟩ ⟨*sniχʷos⟩, with the loss of the initial ⟨s⟩.^[2] Cognate with Ancient Greek νίφα (nípha, “snow (accusative)”), Welsh nyf (“snow”), Lithuanian sniñga (“it snows”), Gothic 𐍃𐌽𐌰𐌹𐍅𐍃 (snaiws, “snow”) and, within Latin, ningit (“it snows”).^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus, Stichus: quasi nix tābēscit diēs, “the day melts away like snow”.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

It is snow, and in the plural falls or drifts of snow.^[3] Romans used it to cool wine (Seneca's master angry with a slave who mixed the snow badly).^[3] It is a type of whiteness, as Virgil's horses whiter than snow, and Horace calls an old woman's white hair capitis nivēs, “the snows of the head”.^[3] Apuleius transfers it to snow-white colour, of ivory.^[3] In alchemy nix was a name for zinc oxide.^[1]

Church Latin glosses it “snow”.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: the day melts like snow.^[3][4]
• 65–8 BC – Horace of white hair.^[3][4]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca of snow for cooling wine.^[3][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. snow;^[3][1][5] (plural) falls of snow, snowdrifts.^[3][1][5]
2. (poetic) White hair (of old age).^[3][1]
3. Snow-white colour.^[3]
4. (alchemy) zinc oxide.^[1]

Word family

• nivālis
• nivārius
• nivātus
• niveus
• nivifer
• nīvit
• nivōsus

Related words

• ningit

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson