# Niger
## English
### Etymology

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”). 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.

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈnaɪ.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/ or, for the country, also /niːˈʒɛə(ɹ)/
* Audio (UK):(file)
* (General American) enPR: nīʹjər, IPA: /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.
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -aɪd͡ʒə(ɹ), -ɛə(ɹ)

### Proper noun

Niger or the Niger
* A country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria. Official name: Republic of the Niger.
* 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.
* A state of Nigeria in the North Central geopolitical zone. Capital and largest city: Minna.

#### Meronyms

* Agadez
* Diffa
* Dosso
* Maradi
* Niamey
* Tahoua
* Tillabéri
* Zinder

#### Holonyms

* Subsahara

#### Derived terms

* Nigersaurus

#### Related terms

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

#### Descendants

* → Japanese: ナイジャ (Naija)

#### Translations
### See also

* Appendix:Countries of the world
* Algeria
* Angola
* Benin
* Botswana
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cabo Verde
* Cameroon
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Comoros
* Côte d'Ivoire, Ivory Coast
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Djibouti
* Egypt
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eritrea
* Eswatini ~ eSwatini, Swaziland
* 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

### References

* ↑ C. K. Meek, The Niger and the Classics: The History of a Name. The Journal of African History. Vol. 1, No. 1 (1960), pp. 1-17
* ↑ Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “Niger”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
* ↑ compare: The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of useful Knowledge, vol. 16 (Murillo—Organ), 1840, NIGER, or rather NIGIR
* ↑ How Do You Pronounce "Niger"? by Avi Zenilman, July 16, 2003, Slate.com
* ↑ So What Is This Place? by Nicholas D. Kristof, October 11, 2005, New York Times

### Further reading

* Niger on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

### Anagrams

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

## Afrikaans
### Proper noun

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

#### Derived terms

* Nigerees
* Nigers
* Nigeryn

## Central Huasteca Nahuatl
### Proper noun

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

## Central Nahuatl
### Proper noun

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

## Czech
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈnɪɡɛr]

### Proper noun

Niger m inan (relational adjective nigerský, demonym Nigeřan)
* Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)
* Niger (a major river in West Africa, that flows into the Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria)

#### Declension
### Further reading

* “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

## Dutch
### Etymology

Probably borrowed from French Niger.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈni.ɣər/, /ˈni.ɣɛr/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: Ni‧ger

### Proper noun

Niger n
* Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)

#### Derived terms

* Nigerees

## Finnish
### Etymology

From French Niger.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈniɡer/, [ˈniɡe̞r]
* Rhymes: -iɡer
* Hyphenation: Ni‧ger

### Proper noun

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

#### Declension

Possessive forms of Niger (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
Nigerini
accusative
nom.
Nigerini
gen.
Nigerini
genitive
Nigerini
partitive
Nigeriäni
inessive
Nigerissäni
elative
Nigeristäni
illative
Nigeriini
adessive
Nigerilläni
ablative
Nigeriltäni
allative
Nigerilleni
essive
Nigerinäni
translative
Nigerikseni
abessive
Nigerittäni
instructive
comitative
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
Nigerisi
accusative
nom.
Nigerisi
gen.
Nigerisi
genitive
Nigerisi
partitive
Nigeriäsi
inessive
Nigerissäsi
elative
Nigeristäsi
illative
Nigeriisi
adessive
Nigerilläsi
ablative
Nigeriltäsi
allative
Nigerillesi
essive
Nigerinäsi
translative
Nigeriksesi
abessive
Nigerittäsi
instructive
comitative
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
Nigerimme
accusative
nom.
Nigerimme
gen.
Nigerimme
genitive
Nigerimme
partitive
Nigeriämme
inessive
Nigerissämme
elative
Nigeristämme
illative
Nigeriimme
adessive
Nigerillämme
ablative
Nigeriltämme
allative
Nigerillemme
essive
Nigerinämme
translative
Nigeriksemme
abessive
Nigerittämme
instructive
comitative
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
Nigerinne
accusative
nom.
Nigerinne
gen.
Nigerinne
genitive
Nigerinne
partitive
Nigeriänne
inessive
Nigerissänne
elative
Nigeristänne
illative
Nigeriinne
adessive
Nigerillänne
ablative
Nigeriltänne
allative
Nigerillenne
essive
Nigerinänne
translative
Nigeriksenne
abessive
Nigerittänne
instructive
comitative
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
Nigerinsä
accusative
nom.
Nigerinsä
gen.
Nigerinsä
genitive
Nigerinsä
partitive
Nigeriään Nigeriänsä
inessive
Nigerissään Nigerissänsä
elative
Nigeristään Nigeristänsä
illative
Nigeriinsä
adessive
Nigerillään Nigerillänsä
ablative
Nigeriltään Nigeriltänsä
allative
Nigerilleen Nigerillensä
essive
Nigerinään Nigerinänsä
translative
Nigerikseen Nigeriksensä
abessive
Nigerittään Nigerittänsä
instructive
comitative

#### Derived terms

* nigeriläinen

## French
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ni.ʒɛʁ/
* Audio:(file)

### Proper noun

Niger m
* Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)

#### Derived terms

* Nigérien (“Nigerien”), Nigérienne
* nigérien

#### Descendants

* Japanese: ニジェール (Nijēru)

### See also

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

## German
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈniːɡɐ]
* Audio:(file)

### Proper noun

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)
* Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)
    Synonyms: Republik Niger, (obsolete) Nigerien n

#### Derived terms

* Nigrer
* nigrisch

### Proper noun

der Niger m (proper noun, strong, usually definite, definite genitive des Niger or des Nigers)
* Niger (a major river in West Africa, that flows into the Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria)

#### Related terms

* Nigeria

### See also

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

## Hungarian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈniɡɛr]
* Hyphenation: Ni‧ger
* Rhymes: -ɛr

### Proper noun

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

#### Derived terms

* nigeri

## Italian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈni.d͡ʒer/
* Rhymes: -idʒer
* Hyphenation: Nì‧ger

### Proper noun

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

#### Derived terms

* nigerino

### Anagrams

* negri, regni

## Latin
### Etymology

From niger (“black, dark”).

### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /ˈni.ɡer/, [ˈnɪɡɛr]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈni.d͡ʒer/, [ˈniːd͡ʒer]

### Proper noun

Niger m (genitive Nigrī); second declension
* A Roman agnomen, or "nickname"
** (Marcus Valerius Messalla Niger, Aquilius Niger)

#### Declension

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

### Proper noun

Niger m sg (genitive Nigris); third declension
* 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)

#### Declension

Third-declension noun, singular only.

### References

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

### Further reading

* “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 Bokmål
### Proper noun

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

#### Related terms

* nigerer
* nigersk

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Proper noun

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

#### Related terms

* nigerar
* nigersk

## Polish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈɲi.ɡɛr/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -iɡɛr
* Syllabification: Ni‧ger

### Proper noun

Niger m inan (related adjective nigerski)
* Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)
* Niger (a major river in West Africa, that flows into the Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria)

#### Derived terms

* Nigerczyk
* Nigerka

### See also

* 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

### Further reading

* Niger in Polish dictionaries at PWN

## Serbo-Croatian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /nîɡer/
* Hyphenation: Ni‧ger

### Proper noun

Nȉger m (Cyrillic spelling Ни̏гер)
* Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)
* Niger (a major river in West Africa, that flows into the Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria)

#### Declension
## Swahili
### Proper noun

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

### See also

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

## Swedish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /niːɡɛr/
* Audio:(file)

### Proper noun

Niger n (genitive Nigers)
* Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)

#### Related terms

* nigerer
* nigerier
* nigerisk
* nigeriska

### Further reading

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

### Anagrams

* Inger, inger, regin, ringe

## Welsh
### Proper noun

Niger f (not mutable)
* Niger (a country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria)

### See also

* Angola
* Algeria
* Benin
* Botswana
* Bwrcina Ffaso
* Bwrwndi
* Cabo Verde
* Camerŵn
* Cenia
* 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
* Senegal
* Sierra Leone
* Simbabwe
* Somalia
* Swdan
* São Tomé a Príncipe
* Tansania
* Tiwnisia
* Togo
* Tsiad
* Wganda
* y Comoros
* y Seychelles
* y Traeth Ifori
* yr Aifft

### References

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