névé

[ney-vey] /neɪˈveɪ/
noun
1.
granular snow accumulated on high mountains and subsequently compacted into glacial ice.
2.
a field of such snow.
Also called firn, old snow.
Origin
1850-55; < Franco-Provençal < Vulgar Latin *nivātum, noun use of neuter of Latin nivātus snow-cooled, equivalent to niv- (stem of nix snow) + -ātus -ate1
British Dictionary definitions for névé

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
Word Origin
C19: from Swiss French névé glacier, from Late Latin nivātus snow-cooled, from nix snow
Word Origin and History for névé

neve

n.

"field of granular snow, firn," 1843, from French névé (19c.), probably from Savoyard névi "mass of snow," from Latin nivem (nominative nix) "snow" (cf. French neige), from PIE root *sneigwh- "snow, to snow" (see snow (n.)).

névé in Science
névé
  (nā-vā')   

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

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