# How do we refer to the people of Niger? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 23, 2020, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-refer-to-the-people-of-niger/916109 "2020-07-23T12:50:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-refer-to-the-people-of-niger/916109/1 "2020-07-23T12:50:29Z")
It would seem like “Nigerian” is already taken. ---
**Author:** ![CardboardBoxx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardboardboxx/32/7079_2.png) [@CardboardBoxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CardboardBoxx)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-refer-to-the-people-of-niger/916109/2 "2020-07-23T12:54:04Z")
Nigeri **e** n as opposed to Nigerian. Nowadays the pronunciation would be different: Nee-zhair-ee-en rather than nye-jeer-ee-ann ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-refer-to-the-people-of-niger/916109/3 "2020-07-23T12:56:07Z")
> [@jebert](#): > > It would seem like “Nigerian” is already taken. Confusingly, Nigerien. Note the difference in spelling. As spoken it is an easier distinction, because as a former French colony it usually given a French pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-refer-to-the-people-of-niger/916109/4 "2020-07-23T13:07:20Z")
Well, that answers that. Except that I have never accepted the pronunciation of the country’s name as “nee-ZHAIR”, always preferring “NYE-jer.” After all, in English we refer to France as "FRANTS’, not “FRAWnSS”. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-refer-to-the-people-of-niger/916109/5 "2020-07-23T22:14:26Z")
One of my friends here in Beijing is actually from Niger. He spells the demonym as indicated above: _Nigerien_ and pronounces it _/niːˈʒɛərɪən/_. Oh, he also pronounces the name of his country with the French pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-refer-to-the-people-of-niger/916109/6 "2020-07-24T03:18:24Z")
> [@jebert](#): > > Well, that answers that. Except that I have never accepted the pronunciation of the country’s name as “nee-ZHAIR”, always preferring “NYE-jer.” After all, in English we refer to France as "FRANTS’, not “FRAWnSS”. Not really an apt comparison as there is no “Francia” or something equally similar. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-refer-to-the-people-of-niger/916109/7 "2020-07-24T03:42:38Z")
There was a Francia, but Louis the Pious couldn’t figure out which kid to give it to so that ended. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-refer-to-the-people-of-niger/916109/8 "2020-07-24T04:19:58Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Confusingly, Nigerien. Note the difference in spelling. As spoken it is an easier distinction, because as a former French colony it usually given a French pronunciation. I grew up in an area where a person from Canada was a Canadien. And you didn’t argue because he had a hockey stick.