niveus

Latin

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈnɪ.we.ʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈniː.ve.us]

Adjective

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

1. (relational) snow, snowy, snowclad, snow-covered
2. snow-white
   • 86 CE – 103 CE, Martialis, 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.

	singular				plural
	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

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

See also

Colors in Classical and Old Latin · colōrēs (layout · text)

albus, candidus, cānus, marmoreus (poetic), eburneus (poetic), niveus (poetic), argenteus (poetic), lacteus (poetic)	pullus, fuscus, aquilus, mūrīnus (of livestock)	āter, niger, furvus, piceus (poetic)
rūfus, russus, ruber, flammeus (poetic), rōbus (of oxen), burrus; pūniceus, spādīx (poetic), sanguineus (poetic)	rutilus, fulvus (poetic), rāvus (of eyes), aureus (poetic), croceus (poetic); rūbidus, niger, badius (of horses)	lūridus, flāvus, lūteus, gilvus (of horses), helvus (of cattle); cēreus (poetic)
viridis, flāvus (poetic)	viridis, herbeus, fulvus (poetic)	viridis, glaucus, caeruleus (poetic, only dark)
	glaucus, caesius (of eyes)	līvidus, caeruleus, ferrūgineus (poetic), glaucus
violāceus	purpureus (underlying shade)	roseus

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.