# You say Nee-jair, I say Neye-ger. How does one pronounce Niger? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055 "2003-07-22T01:03:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alzarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@Alzarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alzarian)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/1 "2003-07-22T01:03:18Z")
There seems to be something of an inconsistancy on how best to pronounce Niger, as the name of the country continues to be mentioned on the news. I had always thought it was “Neye-Ger”, but I’ve heard others on the news using “Nee-Jair”. Is this the British pronounciation? ---
**Author:** ![Landshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/77aa72/32.png) [@Landshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Landshark)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/2 "2003-07-22T01:40:46Z")
I have also been noticing the differences in pronouncing “Niger”. Decided to go to Google and search “pronounce” and “niger” ([http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=pronounce+niger&btnG=Google+Search](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=pronounce+niger&btnG=Google+Search)) The results indicate that as it was until 1960 a colony of France, and French is its primary language, the French pronunciation is correct: “nee-ZHER”. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/3 "2003-07-22T02:37:04Z")
Much of west Africa was under the French. “Nee-ZHER” is correct for both the country and the river. Also, Nigeria is actually “Nee-zher-IE” to the French. The inflection is impossible to transmit in writing, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/4 "2003-07-22T02:37:54Z")
What vexes me is what is the adjective that applies to people and things from Niger. “Nigerian” is already taken. In French, the adjective that applies to Niger is _nigérien_. The _-ien_ ending in French is directly equivalent to the -_ian_ ending in English. Therefore _nigérien_ and Nigerian share the same form. So what do the French call people from Nigeria? What do we call people from Niger? Oddly, the unabridged dictionary, which always lists the adjectival forms after the entry for a country’s name, completely failed to give the adjective for Niger. Can it really be nonexistent? Can a country exist in this modern world of today without an adjective? As for the OP, the dictionary lists both pronunciations. Everybody happy? You haven’t heard the old limerick? _There once was a lady from Niger Who rode on the back of a tiger They came back from the ride With the lady inside And a smile on the face of the tiger_ ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/5 "2003-07-22T02:39:43Z")
But a little info about the name is in this thread: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=85642](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=85642) ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/6 "2003-07-22T04:03:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jomo Mojo \* > \*\*What vexes me is what is the adjective that applies to people and things from Niger. > > “Nigerian” is already taken. > > In French, the adjective that applies to Niger is _nigérien_. The _-ien_ ending in French is directly equivalent to the -_ian_ ending in English. Therefore _nigérien_ and Nigerian share the same form. So what do the French call people from Nigeria? What do we call people from Niger? > > … \*\* FWIW the CIA calls the people of Niger Nigeriens: [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ng.html#People](http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ng.html#People) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/7 "2003-07-24T13:21:39Z")
OK, I found the big Larousse French dictionary and looked it up. In French, people from Niger are _nigérien_, while people from Nigeria are _nigérian_. Obviously, the French borrowed the English adjectival ending for the former British colony, while in English we (seem to) have borrowed the French adjectival ending for the former French colony. Tit for tat. By the way, Larousse says the French name for Nigeria is _le Nigeria_. I wonder how English-speaking people are supposed to pronounce _Nigerien_ in English. _Moi_, I would use the French pronunciation, simply because nothing else would make sense; otherwise it would sound indistinguishable from “Nigerian.” But that’s just me: I pronounce Latin words the Italian way. ---
**Author:** ![NFlanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@NFlanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NFlanders)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/8 "2003-07-24T13:40:22Z")
Regarding the OP, I prefer Neye’-jur. Slate recently had an article on how the “correct” pronunciation is Knee-jhair: [http://slate.msn.com/id/2085735/](http://slate.msn.com/id/2085735/) However, I don’t buy it. Yes, it is a French-speaking country. Yes, THEY pronounce it Knee-jhair. But France is a French-speaking country, should we pronounce it La Fronce, just because they do? The real question is what has it traditionally been called in English. If everyone wants to agree to start calling it Deutschland, then I’ll agree on Knee-jhair’. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/9 "2003-07-24T13:43:05Z")
Jomo Mojo, that exact question used to have me wondering. For years. I even asked a friend from Africa, and he didn’t know. Finally found the answer on some internet site. And then not two months later I met someone who works in Niger in the summers. Figures. She says “Nee-zhair.” ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/10 "2003-07-24T14:18:55Z")
[Here’s](http://slate.msn.com/id/2085735/) the Straight Dope from the Nigerien Embassy. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/11 "2003-07-24T14:22:44Z")
Oops! I now see **NFlanders** beat me to it. And I _swear_ it didn’t take me 35 minutes to find and read that article! 😕 ---
**Author:** ![daniel801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@daniel801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daniel801)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/12 "2003-07-24T14:23:32Z")
They pronounce it La Fwrauntsay, not La Fronce ---
**Author:** ![daniel801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@daniel801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daniel801)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/13 "2003-07-24T14:25:59Z")
Oh, and Webster says they are Nigerois ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/14 "2003-07-24T15:02:14Z")
I know how **not** to say it! ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/15 "2003-07-24T15:46:46Z")
I favor the _American Heritage Dictionary_, and they give both pronunciations. I think that should settle this useless debate and make everybody happy. FWIW, they give the anglicized pronunciation first and the French version second. **daniel801,** you are obviously trying to bullshit us on French pronunciation. You can’t seriously be that ignorant. Won’t work here; too many people are well informed about _le français_. I once tried guessing _nigerois_, but when I inquired of an ambassador from Niger, he told me no, it was _nigérien_. If Webster really said that, they were probably guessing. At least the _AHD_ omitted it since they weren’t sure. Better to omit it than make something up, if you don’t know for sure. ---
**Author:** ![daniel801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@daniel801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daniel801)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/16 "2003-07-24T16:46:40Z")
Nitpick: the ambassador told you that in English it has an e with an accent over it? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/17 "2003-07-24T16:55:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by daniel801 \* > \*\*Nitpick: the ambassador told you that in English it has an e with an accent over it? \*\* Sure, why not? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/18 "2003-07-24T16:55:50Z")
I asked him in French what it was. He pronounced it that way, with the accented _é_. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/19 "2003-07-24T20:08:24Z")
It’s pronounced “Qatar.” ---
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055/20 "2003-07-25T01:21:55Z")
Thistle seed (the tiny black seeds used in special bird feeders to attract goldfinches) is also called “niger seed.” How is that “niger” correctly pronounced in English? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-say-nee-jair-i-say-neye-ger-how-does-one-pronounce-niger/190055.md?page=2)