νέφος
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
νεφέλη
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
nephelē
English translation (word)
cloud
Transliteration (Etymon)
nephos
English translation (etymon)
cloud
Century
9-10 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Commentarius in Apocalypsin 653, 31
Ed.
J.-P. Migne, Patrologiae cursus completus (series Graeca) (MPG) 106, Paris: Migne, 1857-1866: 493-785
Quotation
Ἡ γὰρ νεφέλη εἴρηται ἀπὸ νεφῶν, τὸ παχὺ καὶ ὑδατῶδες ἀποβαλόντων
Translation (En)
Because the cloud (nephelē) is thus called from the clouds (nephôn), which let the thick and watery matter go
Parallels
Arethas, Commentarius in Apocalypsin, 653, l. 51 (Καὶ περὶ μὲν νεφέλης ταύτῃ τεθεωρείσθω, ἥτις, κατὰ τὸ ἕτοιμον τῆς λέξεως, νεφέλη εἴρηται διὰ τὸ ἀπὸ νέφους τὴν ὑπόστασιν ἐσχηκέναι ἀποτιναχθέντος πᾶν τὸ παχὺ καὶ ὑδατῶδες)
Modern etymology
Νεφέλη belongs with νέφος "cloud", not with νείφω "to snow" and is cognate with Lat. nebula "cloud", Germ. Nebel, Ved. nábhas- "cloud" (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
The word is still used in Modern Greek as a learned word to designate the 'cloud', while it also exists as a proper name. There also is the word νεφέλωμα.
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
This explanation correctly relates νεφέλη to νέφος and derives the former from the latter. It is not clear how the end of the word was interpreted, as a suffix or as the second member of a compound. Herodian acknowledged that the two words are related, but did not derive the one from the other, instead he derived both independently from the same etymon *νέφω, before the latter was modified into νείφω (see νεφέλη / νείφω)