A.infant, child, freq. in Hom., “νήπιον, οὔ πω εἰδόθ᾽ ὁμοιίου πολέμοιο” Il.9.440; “νήπια τέκνα” 2.136, etc.; “βρέφος ἔτ᾽ ὄντα ν.” E.Ion1399, cf. Andr.755, etc.; “νηπίους ἔτι” Id.Heracl.956; “τὸ ν.” Pl.Ax.366d; “ἁρμόττουσα τοῖς ν. [πλαταγή]” Arist.Pol.1340b30; ἐκ νηπίου from a child, from infancy, “[τὸ ἡδὺ] ἐκ ν. ἡμῖν συντέθραπται” Id.EN1105a2; “ἐκ νηπίων” Plb.4.20.8; “ἐκ ν. ἡλικίας” PFlor.36.5 (iv A.D.); infant in law, minor, “ἐφ᾽ ὅσον ὁ κληρονόμος ν. ἐστιν” Ep.Gal.4.1; of children up to puberty, “αἱ τῶν ν. ἐκλάμψιες” Hp.Epid.6.1.4 (cf. Herophil. ap. Gal.17(1).826); but of the foetus in its early stage, Hp.Aph.4.1 (cf. Gal.17(1).653).
3. of plants, Thphr.HP8.1.7.
II. metaph.,
1. of the understanding, childish, silly, Od.13.237; “μέγα ν.” Il.16.46, cf. Od.9.44; simply, without foresight, blind, Il.22.445; “ἀνὴρ ν.” Heraclit.79, cf. Emp.11.1, Pi.P.3.82, A.Pr.443, Democr.76, etc.; “ν. ὃς . . γονέων ἐπιλάθεται” S.El.145 (lyr.); οὔτε πρὶν νήπιον, νῦν τ᾽ . . μέγαν no child before and now full-grown (i.e. in mind), Id.OT 652 (lyr.); of words, “νήπια βάζεις” Pi.Fr.157; “ἀντιτείνειν νήπι᾽ ἀντὶ νηπίων” E.Med.891; “μηδὲν εἴπῃς ν.” Ar.Nu.105.