névé

[ney-vey]

noun

1. granular snow accumulated on high mountains and subsequently compacted into glacial ice.

2. a field of such snow.

névé

/ ˈnɛveɪ /

noun

1. Also called: firn. a mass of porous ice, formed from snow, that has not yet become frozen into glacier ice

2. a snowfield at the head of a glacier that becomes transformed into ice

névé

1. The upper part of a glacier, consisting of hardened snow.

2. The granular snow typically found in such a field.

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of névé¹

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