snow English · revision 3998

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 825|origins=ine-pro *sneygʷʰ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /snəʊ/, US /snoʊ/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|snou]], snaw,^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) [[inh|ang|snāw|t=snow; a fall of snow, a snowstorm]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[gem-pro|*snaiwaz]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) the source also of Old Saxon and Old High German snēo, Dutch sneeuw, German Schnee, Old Norse snjór and Gothic snaiws,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[ine-pro|*sneygʷʰ-|alt=*sniegwh-|t=snow; to snow]],^(Etymonline) the source also of Greek nípha, Latin nix (genitive nivis), Old Irish snechta, Lithuanian sniegas and Russian sneg.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) The Sanskrit cognate snihyati came to mean “he gets wet”.^(Etymonline) The verb, from the noun, replaced Old English snīwan, which would have given modern snew.^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Frozen vapour falling in flakes: about 825 in the OED,^(OED 1989) before 830 in Barnhart.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ A fall of snow, a snowstorm, is from about 888,^(OED 1989) and an expanse of snow from about 1374.^(OED 1989) The verb, “to fall as snow”, is from about 1300,^(Etymonline) replacing snew, which lingered as a parallel form until the 17th century, and longer in Yorkshire;^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002) the transitive “to cause to snow” is by the mid-14th century.^(Etymonline) “To overwhelm, cover and imprison”, as heavy snows bury livestock, is American, from 1880, in ''to snow under'',^(Etymonline) and the ''snow job'', persistent persuasion in a dubious cause (1943), is World War II forces slang.^(Etymonline) As slang for cocaine it is attested from 1914,^(Etymonline) and the white specks on a weak television picture are a later use.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 825 – snow.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 888 – a snowfall.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1300 – verb, to snow.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1880 – ''to snow under''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1914 – cocaine.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1943 – ''snow job''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Frozen water vapour falling as white flakes of ice crystals.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A fall of snow; a [[snowstorm]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A layer or expanse of fallen snow.^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)

+ # White specks on a television screen from weak reception.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''(slang)'' [[Cocaine]] or [[heroin]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To fall as snow: ''it snowed all night''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To cover or shut in with snow, usually with ''in'' or ''under''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''(slang)'' To deceive or persuade with glib talk.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[snowless]]

+ * [[snowlike]]

+ * [[snow under]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[snowball]]

+ * [[snowflake]]

+ * [[snowy]]

+ * [[nival]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ A different snow, a small sailing vessel like a brig (1676), is from Dutch snauw or Low German snau.^(OED 1989)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}