Niger

Commonly linked by folk etymology to Latin niger (“black”), which likely influenced the modern spelling.

Some sources give the term to Tuareg roots, deriving it from a claimed gher n-gheren or egereou n-igereouen (“river of rivers”).^[1][2] Compare Tarifit iɣzar-n-iɣezran.

Older sources derive Niger, via a series of mistranslations and geographic misplacements by Greek, Roman and Arab geographers, from Ptolemy's descriptions of the wadi Gir (in modern Algeria) and the "Lower Gir" (or "Ni-Gir") to the south.^[3]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈnaɪ.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/ or, for the country, also /niːˈʒɛə(ɹ)/
• (General American) enPR: nīʹjər, IPA^(key): /ˈnaɪ.d͡ʒɚ/ or, for the country, also enPR: nēzhârʹ, /niːˈʒɛɚ/

  The second pronunciations of the country's name follow how it is pronounced in French, the official language of Niger.^[4][5]

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪd͡ʒə(ɹ), -ɛə(ɹ)

Niger or the Niger

2. A country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria. Official name: Republic of the Niger.
4. A major river in West Africa that flows into the Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria.
   • 2023, Stephen Buoro, The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa, Bloomsbury Circus, page 290:

     From here we can see the River Niger in the distance running across town, a long gleaming diamond in the horizon.

5. A state of Nigeria in the North Central geopolitical zone. Capital and largest city: Minna.

• (regions of Niger) region of Niger; Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Tillabéri, Zinder,

• Subsahara

• Nigeria
• Nigerien
• Nigerois
• Proto-Volta-Niger
• Republic of Niger
• Transnigerian

• → Japanese: ナイジャ (Naija)

• Appendix:Countries of the world
• (countries of Africa) countries of Africa; Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, Zimbabwe ^{(Category: en:Countries in Africa) [edit]}

• Niger on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• re-nig, Reign, Negri, reign, ringe, renig, Grine, Reing, Grein, nigre

Afrikaans Wikipedia has an article on:

Niger

Wikipedia ^af

Niger

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria; capital: Niamey)

• Nigerees
• Nigers
• Nigeryn

Niger

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)

Niger

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)

Czech Wikipedia has an article on:

Niger

Wikipedia ^cs

• IPA^(key):

Niger m inan (relational adjective nigerský, demonym Nigeřan)

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)
2. Niger (a major river in West Africa, that flows into the Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria)

• “Niger”, in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu (in Czech)
• “Niger”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “Niger”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

Probably borrowed from French Niger.

• IPA^(key): /ˈni.ɣər/, /ˈni.ɣɛr/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Ni‧ger

Niger n

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)

• Nigerees

Finnish Wikipedia has an article on:

Niger

Wikipedia ^fi

From French Niger.

• IPA^(key): /ˈniɡer/,
• Rhymes: -iɡer
• Hyphenation^(key): Ni‧ger

Niger

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)

• nigeriläinen

French Wikipedia has an article on:

Niger

Wikipedia ^fr

• IPA^(key): /ni.ʒɛʁ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Niger m

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)

• Nigérien (“Nigerien”), Nigérienne
• nigérien

• Japanese: ニジェール (Nijēru)

• Nigérian (“Nigerian, resident or native of Nigeria”), Nigériane
• nigérian

German Wikipedia has an article on:

Niger

Wikipedia ^de

• IPA^(key):

• Audio:

  (file)

der Niger m (proper noun, strong, usually definite, definite genitive des Niger or des Nigers) or
Niger n (proper noun, genitive Nigers or (optionally with an article) Niger)

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)

   Synonyms: Republik Niger, (obsolete) Nigerien n

• Nigrer
• nigrisch

der Niger m (proper noun, strong, usually definite, definite genitive des Niger or des Nigers)

1. Niger (a major river in West Africa, that flows into the Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria)

• Nigeria

• Nigerianer (“Nigerian, person from Nigeria”)
• nigerianisch
• (countries of Africa) Staaten Afrikas; Ägypten, Algerien, Angola, Äquatorialguinea, Äthiopien, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Dschibuti, Elfenbeinküste, Eritrea, Eswatini, Gabun, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kamerun, Kap Verde, Kenia, Komoren, Demokratische Republik Kongo, Republik Kongo, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyen, Madagaskar, Malawi, Mali, Marokko, Mauretanien, Mauritius, Mosambik, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Ruanda, Sambia, São Tomé und Príncipe, Senegal, Seychellen, Sierra Leone, Simbabwe, Somalia, Südafrika, Sudan, Südsudan, Tansania, Togo, Tschad, Tunesien, Uganda, Zentralafrikanische Republik ^{(Category: de:Countries in Africa)}

 Niger (country) on Hungarian Wikipedia

 Niger (river) on Hungarian Wikipedia

• IPA^(key):
• Hyphenation: Ni‧ger
• Rhymes: -ɛr

Niger

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)
2. Niger (a major river in West Africa, that flows into the Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria)

• nigeri

Italian Wikipedia has an article on:

Niger

Wikipedia ^it

• IPA^(key): /ˈni.d͡ʒer/
• Rhymes: -idʒer
• Hyphenation: Nì‧ger

Niger m

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)
2. Niger (a major river in West Africa, that flows into the Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria)

• nigerino

• negri, regni

From niger (“black, dark”).

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈni.ɡer/,
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈni.d͡ʒer/,

Niger m (genitive Nigrī); second declension

1. A Roman agnomen, or "nickname"
   • (Marcus Valerius Messalla Niger, Aquilius Niger)

Second-declension noun (nominative singular in -er).

Latin Wikipedia has an article on:

Niger (flumen)

Wikipedia ^la

Latin Wikipedia has an article on:

Niger

Wikipedia ^la

Niger m sg (genitive Nigris); third declension

1. Niger (a major river in West Africa, that flows into the Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria)
   • 1534, Joachim Vadianus, Epitome trium terrae partium Asiae, Africae et Europae compendiariam...:

     Efficit autem hoc suo flexu, ut etiam ultra Athlantem Africa ad usque Nigrim fluuium excurrat, Plinio & Ptolemaeo.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Third-declension noun, singular only.

• “Niger”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press

• “Niger”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “Niger”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press

Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:

Niger

Wikipedia ^no

Niger

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)

• nigerer
• nigersk

Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:

Niger

Wikipedia ⁿⁿ

Niger

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)

• nigerar
• nigersk

• IPA^(key): /ˈɲi.ɡɛr/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iɡɛr
• Syllabification: Ni‧ger

Niger m inan (related adjective nigerski)

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)
2. Niger (a major river in West Africa, that flows into the Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria)

• (countries of Africa) państwa Afryki; Algieria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Czad, Demokratyczna Republika Konga, Dżibuti, Egipt, Erytrea, Eswatini, Etiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Gwinea, Gwinea Bissau, Gwinea Równikowa, Kamerun, Kenia, Komory, Kongo, Lesotho, Liberia, Libia, Madagaskar, Malawi, Mali, Maroko, Mauretania, Mauritius, Mozambik, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Południowa Afryka, Republika Środkowoafrykańska, Republika Zielonego Przylądka, Rwanda, Sahara Zachodnia, Senegal, Seszele, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Sudan Południowy, Tanzania, Togo, Tunezja, Uganda, Wybrzeże Kości Słoniowej, Wyspy Świętego Tomasza i Książęca, Zambia, Zimbabwe ^{(Category: pl:Countries in Africa) [edit]}

• Niger in Polish dictionaries at PWN

• IPA^(key): /nîɡer/
• Hyphenation: Ni‧ger

Nȉger m (Cyrillic spelling Ни̏гер)

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)
2. Niger (a major river in West Africa, that flows into the Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria)

Swahili Wikipedia has an article on:

Niger

Wikipedia ^sw

Niger

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)

• (countries of Africa) nchi za Afrika; Algeria or Aljeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Kamerun or Cameroon or Kameruni, Jamhuri ya Afrika ya Kati, Chad or Chadi, Komori or Visiwa vya Ngazija, Cote d'Ivoire or Kodivaa, Jamhuri ya Kidemokrasia ya Kongo or Kongo-Kinshasa, Jibuti or Djibouti, Misri or Umisri, Guinea ya Ikweta or Ginekweta, Eritrea, Ethiopia or Uhabeshi or Habeshi, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea or Gine or Gini, Guinea Bisau or Guinea-Bisau or Ginebisau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagaska or Bukini, Malawi or Unyasa, Mali, Mauritania, Morisi, Mayotte, Moroko or Maroko, Msumbiji or Mozambik, Namibia, Niger or Nijeri, Nigeria or Nijeria or Naijeria, Jamhuri ya Kongo or Kongo-Brazzaville, Réunion, Rwanda or Ruanda, Mtakatifu Helena, Sao Tome na Principe, Senegal or Senegali, Shelisheli, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Afrika Kusini, Sudan Kusini, Sudan, Uswazi or Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Sahara ya Magharibi, Zambia, Zimbabwe ^{(Category: sw:Countries in Africa) [edit]}

Swedish Wikipedia has an article on:

Niger

Wikipedia ^sv

• IPA^(key): /niːɡɛr/

• Audio:

  (file)

Niger n (genitive Nigers)

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)

• nigerer
• nigerier
• nigerisk
• nigeriska

• Niger in Svenska Akademiens ordböcker
• Utrikes namnbok (12th ed., 2024)
• Svensk MeSH

• Inger, inger, regin, ringe

Welsh Wikipedia has an article on:

Niger

Wikipedia ^cy

Niger f (not mutable)

1. Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)

• (countries of Africa) gwledydd Affrica; yr Aifft, Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Bwrcina Ffaso, Bwrwndi, Cabo Verde, Camerŵn, Cenia, y Comoros, De Affrica, De Swdan, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Gini, Gini Bisaw, Gini Gyhydeddol, Gorllewin Sahara, Gweriniaeth Canolbarth Affrica, Gweriniaeth Ddemocrataidd y Congo, Gweriniaeth y Congo, Jibwti, Lesotho, Liberia, Libia, Madagasgar, Malawi, Mali, Mawrisiws, Mawritania, Moroco, Mosambic, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sambia, São Tomé a Príncipe, Senegal, y Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Simbabwe, Somalia, Swdan, Tansania, Tiwnisia, Togo, y Traeth Ifori, Tsiad, Wganda ^{(Category: cy:Countries in Africa) [edit]}

• Griffiths, Bruce, Glyn Jones, Dafydd (1995) Geiriadur yr Academi: The Welsh Academy English–Welsh Dictionary‎, Cardiff: University of Wales Press, →ISBN