subnival

English

WOTD – 1 December 2022

Etymology

PIE word
*upó

From sub- (prefix meaning ‘beneath, under’) +‎ nival (“abounding with snow; snow-covered, snowy; found or thriving in snowy conditions”), borrowed from German subnival, from Late Latin subnivalis, from Latin sub- (prefix meaning ‘beneath, under’) + nivālis (“snow-covered; snowy”) (from nix (“snow”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sneygʷʰ- (“to snow”)) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship)).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /sʌbˈnaɪvl̩/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌsʌbˈnaɪv(ə)l/
• Rhymes: -aɪvəl
• Hyphenation: sub‧niv‧al

Adjective

subnival (not comparable) (chiefly botany)

1. Of a habitat: of an altitude, latitude, or type just below that which would be permanently covered by snow (the snow line).
   • 1969, Wendelin Klaer, “Glazialmorphologische Probleme in den Hochgebirgen Vorderasiens”, in Erdkunde: Archive for Scientific Geography, volume XXIII, number 3, Bonn: University of Bonn, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, summary, page 193, column 1:

     In this way, the ‘subnival’ mountain range on the southern facet with its strong solifluction influence (level slope formation) approaches in height the ‘nival’ mountain range on the northern facet, which is distinguished by its well developed glacial forms.

2. Growing or capable of growing, or occurring, underneath snow; subnivean.

Coordinate terms

• nival

Related terms

• subniveal
• subnivean
• subnivian
• subnivium

Translations

of a habitat: of an altitude, latitude, or type just below that which would be permanently covered by snow

• Finnish: lumirajan alapuolinen
• French: subnival (fr), subnivéen (fr)
• German: subnival (de)
• Latin: subnivalis (Late Latin)

growing or capable of growing, or occurring, underneath snow — see also subnivian

• Finnish: lumen alla kasvava

Further reading

• subnivean climate on Wikipedia.Wikipedia