niveus

Latin

Etymology

Derived from the oblique stem niv- of nix (“snow”) +‎ -eus (“-an”, adjective-forming derivational suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈni.u̯e.us/, [ˈniu̯eʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈni.ve.us/, [ˈniːveus]

Adjective

niveus (feminine nivea, neuter niveum); first/second-declension adjective

1. (relational) snow, snowy, snowclad, snow-covered
2. snow-white
   • 86 - 103 C.E. — Martial, Epigrammata, 5.43

     Thais habet nigros, niveos Laecania dentes
     Quae ratio est? Emptos haec habet, illa suos.

     Thais has black teeth, Laecania has snow-white.
     What's the reason? The latter has bought hers; the former has her own.

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Number	Singular				Plural
Case / Gender	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	niveus	nivea	niveum		niveī	niveae	nivea
Genitive	niveī	niveae	niveī		niveōrum	niveārum	niveōrum
Dative	niveō	niveae	niveō		niveīs
Accusative	niveum	niveam	niveum		niveōs	niveās	nivea
Ablative	niveō	niveā	niveō		niveīs
Vocative	nivee	nivea	niveum		niveī	niveae	nivea

Related terms

• nivālis
• nivātus
• nivōsus
• nix

 

Descendants

• → English: niveous
• → Italian: niveo
• → Portuguese: níveo
• → Spanish: níveo

See also

Colors in Latin · colōrēs (layout · text)

albus, candidus, subalbus, niveus, cēreus, marmoreus, eburneus, cānus, blancus (ML.)	glaucus, rāvus, pullus, cinereus, cinerāceus, plumbeus, grīseus (ML. or NL.)	niger, āter, piceus, furvus
ruber, rūbidus, rūfus, rubicundus, russus, rubrīcus, pūniceus, murrinus, mulleus; cocceus, coccīnus, badius	rutilus, armeniacus, aurantius, aurantiacus; fuscus, suffuscus, colōrius, cervīnus, spādīx, castaneus, aquilus, fulvus, brunneus (ML.)	flāvus, sufflāvus, flāvidus, fulvus, lūteus, gilvus, helvus, croceus, pallidus, blondinus (ML.)
galbus, galbinus, lūridus	viridis	prasinus
cȳaneus	caeruleus, azurīnus (ML.), caesius, blāvus (LL.)	glaucus; līvidus; venetus
violāceus, ianthinus, balaustīnus (NL.)	ostrīnus, amethystīnus	purpureus, ātropurpureus, roseus, rosāceus

References

• “niveus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “niveus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• niveus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.