né·vé 
(nā-vā)
(nā-vā)n.
1. The upper part of a glacier where the snow turns into ice.
2.
a. A snow field at the head of a glacier.
b. The granular snow typically found in such a field.
[French, from French dialectal névi, from Vulgar Latin *nivātum, from neuter of Latin nivātus, cooled by snow, from nix, niv-, snow; see sneigwh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]