I just received a flyer from my local birdseed store that is offering nyjer seed for $.79 a pound.
Nyjer? NYJER?
Niger (aka thistle) seed is a staple for those of us who like to feed the finches. I checked several online dictionaries and none of them show any listing for “nyjer”.
Are we that worried about being politically correct that we are now changing the spelling of common words because they sort of look like an offensive word?
God forbid, is Nigeria next? :rolleyes:
Pnyjeareeah. It’s the only answer.
Do you mean Nyjeria?
When you feed those finches, I hope you’re not nyggardly with the seed.
Heh.
Maybe the pet shop was just being nyggardly, and purchased an off-brand to sell at regular prices. Ya know, Brocks vs. Brachs, Nyger vs. Niger.
I believe “nee-jer” is phonetically more accurate when referring to the African country between Chad (K’had) and Mali (as in Bob).
Yes, that’s true. But most Americans don’t know how to pronounce Niger. I didn’t until a few weeks ago myself. I asked a Ghanan guy I know the following question: “If we call people from Nigeria Nigerians, what do we call people from Niger?” He said “Nee-zheer-ee-ehns,” all Frenchy-like, and pointed out “Remember that it was French. The name of the country should be pronounced Nee-zher.” Good to know.
I wonder if they have any womyn selling the nyger seed.
Not only are they PC, but they can’t spell and they don’t know their etymology. Niger (correctly pronounced NY-jer) is the Latin word for the color black, and one would assume that because this is Africa, that the river and the country would be nsamed for the color.
BUT. .
As it turns out, early Arab cosmographers named the region after the Hausa word for river (ni) and the name of the river, Gir; thus Nigir, later changed to Niger.
I just called the store to get further information and they advised that the name “Nyjer” is a tradmark of the Wild Bird Feeding Institute.
Here’s the link http://www.wbfi.org/pdf/wbfibrochure1.pdf
At least that makes a little more sense. I guess they can call it Purple People Eaters® if they want. Unless, of course, they want to offend all of the Purple People Eaters worldwide. :rolleyes:
Remember all the flack in Washington when Mayor Williams’ aide used the word “niggardly”? I can understand why a seed supplier would rather not be hassled like that, even if out of ignorance. But at least he didn’t change the English pronunciation of the original word.
Anyone remember rapeseed oil? Now it’s canola. If we can accept that, we can accept “Nyjer seed”.
I take no position on the subject of the OP, but I would like to relate a sort-of-funny, sort-of-not story.
Our third grade class received a new globe and as we gathered around to look, one girl exclaimed, “Look! There’s a country called ‘Nigger’!!”
How old was the previous globe that it didn’t have Niger on it?
– nyjer
– NY = New York
– Jer = Jersey
– nyjer seed = New York/New Jersey seed.
It’s simply birdseed marketed toward the urban finch.
Don’t you feel foolish now?
Just had to de-lurk for this one…
Nice clarification on the Arabic origin of Niger.
But those who named the river describing the universe, or just making maps? 
Oops. Meant to say:
But were those who named the river…etc.
They’re not finches. She has tyts.
And what a pair of tyts they are. Her boobies are nice too.