The noun λιψ (lips) is one of a few that describe particular winds (ανεμος, anemos) mentioned in the New Testament, namely the southwestern (Acts 27:12 only) — others are χωρος (choros), the northwestern, the Euroclydon, the easterly surger, and the νοτος (notos), south wind (see below).

Our noun λιψ (lips) stems from the same Proto-Indo-European root "leyb-", to pour, that also yielded the unused verb λειβω (leibo), and hence the nouns λιμην (limen), harbor, and λιμνη (limne), lake, and the Latin libo, from which English gets the verb to libate.

Lips was one of a few deified winds that are named in the Bible.

The noun νοτος (notos) describes the south wind, that's the wind that comes from the south and goes north. The same word could also describe the south in general, but not so much as a mere static quarter but rather as the place of origin of certain things coming north. In Greek mythology, Nostos was one of many deified winds.

It's unclear where this word may have come from, but here at Abarim Publications we surmise it may have been imported into the Greek language basin along with the alphabet, and ultimately derives from the verb נתן (natan), to give.

The south wind brought either very warm air from Africa, or very wet air and thus rain from the Mediterranean (a derived verb, νοτιζω, notizo means to moisten). This wind was times feared as a crop-burner and a storm bringer. Still, the Hebrew word for south, namely תימן (teman), comes from a group of words that have to do with the right-hand side, ימין (yamin), and are decidedly positive. Our word νοτος (notos), likewise, was associated with the Queen of the South, both proverbially generous with gifts (1 Kings 10:10) and with condemnations (Matthew 12:42).

Our noun νοτος (notos) occurs 7 times in the New Testament; see full concordance

The noun βορρασ (borras) means north and appears to be named after Βορεας (Boreas), the deified god of the northern wind (hence the aurora borealis, the northern lights). Where that name comes from is a mystery, but the Hebrew word בר (bor) means cleanness or pureness, and בור (bor) means well or pit. Also note the similarity between βορεας (boreas), north wind, and the nouns βορβορος (borboros), filth, and βαρβαρος (barbaros), barbarian.

Unlike the gift-bringing southern wind, Boreas was known to be mostly a taker, a kidnapper and rapist of princesses even. But Boreas had also sunk the Persian fleet, so he was not all bad. He was depicted as an old man with wings. Two of his sons sailed with Jason on the Argos. A legendary land called Hyperborea, or above the north wind, was supposedly peopled by happy and long-living people.

Boreas, the northern wind, strangely enough, is not at all mentioned in the New Testament. Noun βορρασ (borras), meaning north, occurs in Luke 13:29 and Revelation 21:13 only.

The noun λαιλαψ (lailaps) describes a furious storm or cyclone, one specifically described in the classics as a circular roaring monster that builds up from bottom to top, and sucks everything it comes across inside of it, destroys it there and spews out the mangled remains.

This word is fairly common in Homer (it occurs about half a dozen times in both the Iliad and the Odyssey; often as a metaphor for human military destruction: Il.11.306, Il.11.747, Il.12.375), then appears to have died out somewhat, only to be resurrected in late classical Koine. In the New Testament, it occurs in Mark 4:37, Luke 8:23 and 2 Peter 2:17 only.

Late classical authors recorded a myth about a hunting dog called Laelaps that never failed to catch its prey. There was also a mythological fox who always escaped its hunter (the Teumessian fox), so naturally, humans found a way to pit these creatures against each other. The paradox went on until Zeus intervened, turned both creatures to stone and elevated their petrified corpses into stellar constellations (Canis Major and Minor).

It's unclear where our noun λαιλαψ (lailaps) came from, although it's obviously an emphatic duplication (like the name Cenchrea or the noun βαρβαρος, barbaros, barbarian). The element which our word duplicates may have had to do with the noun λιψ (lips) we discuss above, or its PIE root "leyb-", to pour. Possibly even more fitting is the verb λαπτω (lapto), meaning drink greedily, gulp down or lap up with the tongue (speaking of wolves). This verb occurs in several European languages (including English, as to lap) and is thought to be onomatopoeic. This verb's future forms are spelled with a ψ (psi): λαψω (lapso) means I will lap. Noun λαψις (lapsis) means a lapping. Adverb λαψ (laps) describes a greedy gulping manner.

Another word of interest, which we here at Abarim Publications surmise may have helped in the formation of our word (which happened a lot: see our article on the many Hebrew roots of Greek), is the Hebrew word for night, namely לילי (laylay), which in turn either derived from or spawned the name Lilith, belonging to an ancient demon mentioned in Babylonian lore. This name is likewise a duplicative form: the element לי (ly) means "to me" or "for me", which may either be a particle of perfectly harmless self-reference, or a manifestation of an all-consuming self-centeredness or self-serving self-aggrandizement.

The verb λειχω (leicho) means to lick (hence the word "lichen", which describes an organism that looks like a lick). It's reported to derive from the PIE root "leyg-", to lick, from which, indeed comes the English verb "to lick", but probably not the noun "leech" and certainly not the adjective "licentious" (which comes from the Latin licet, to permit). Some derived terms: λιχνος (lichos), gluttonous or with lustful licking, and λιχνευω (licheuo), to lick or stealthily taste; neither of these nouns occur in the New Testament, but may help to explain the derivation below. In Latin, there is the verb lingo, to lick, which curiously is not related to lingua, tongue, whence the important noun "language". A Hebrew verb worthy of note is לקק (laqaq), to lap or lick, also because it is the root of the name Amalek.

Our verb λειχω (leicho), to lick, is not used in the New Testament but from it derives:

The adjective λιπαρος (liparos) means fat or fatty: similar or having to do with λιπος (lipos), animal fat (hence English words like lipid and liposuction). This latter noun is a synonym of πιαρ (piar), fat or tallow, which tends to associate with words like πιαζω (piazo), to press down, and βια (bia), force, strength or violence. Our noun λιπος (lipos), instead, appears to derive from the PIE root "(s)ley(p)-" to flow or to stick, and associates with words like slime but also to leave, liver and (perhaps surprisingly) to live, and the Slavic lep, beautiful (the word "lepen" is Russian for "butterfly", a word of which the "butter"-part has never been properly explained).

The link between fat and abundance and hence living beautifully isn't much of a stretch, which in turn explains the phrase "fat of the land". In the classics, the noun λιπος (lipos) specifically denotes animal fat, but our adjective λιπαρος (liparos) is used much more broadly, either for literal fat things, or things rubbed in fat, literally fat dishes or figuratively rich and abundant ones, the happily shining skin of a healthy human being, a skin without wrinkles, or a lifestyle signified by any of those things: rich, lush, abundant. Our word could describe the big fat (smooth) sea, big fat city walls, or big fat tributes. And it could describe a fertile place, which was flat and rich in soil and lavishly peopled by folks to work it.

The noun λιπος (lipos), fat, does not occur in the New Testament. Our adjective λιπαρος (liparos), fat or fatty, occurs in Revelation 18:14 only, in the obvious proverbial duo "liparos & lampros", which would paraphrase as something like "bright & shiny" but with the underlying meaning of "sustaining & informing" or "nutritious to body & mind".