Original: It is often assumed , without evidence , that Niger derives from the Latin word for '' black '' , niger , but it would have been more likely for the Portuguese explorers who first wrote this name on their maps to have used the Portuguese word , negro , as they did elsewhere in the world .
Simplified: Many people think that it comes from the Latin word for '' black '' , niger , but there is no evidence for this , and Portuguese explorers would probably have used their own word ( negro ) on their maps .