The distinction between "Nigerien" and "Nigerian" often causes confusion, especially in spoken English. Both terms are derived from the name "Niger," but they refer to different countries and are pronounced differently. This article delves into the origins, pronunciations, and historical contexts of these terms to clarify their usage.
It's easy to confuse "Nigerien" and "Nigerian," especially in spoken English. This confusion often arises because both terms are derived from the name "Niger."
How to Pronounce Nigeriens? | What are inhabitants of Niger called?
The Origin of the Name "Niger"
The name "Niger" originates from the Niger River. The African nation was named for the river Niger, mentioned by that name in the 1520s by Leo Africanus. The name is probably an alteration (by influence of Latin niger "black") of a local Tuareg name, egereou n-igereouen, from egereou "big river, sea" + n-igereouen, plural of that word.
The origin of the name Niger, which originally applied only to the middle reaches of the river, is uncertain. Exploring the Atlantic coast of Africa, the Portuguese had encountered the Niger Delta in the late 15th century and established a trade mission in Benin City around 1485.
Whatever they called the various waterways involved, it would not have been "Niger", which originally applied to (the inland delta of ?) the river near Timbuktu, far upstream. D.D. I don't know how (some 16th-century variety of) Tuareg pronounced egereou n-igereouen, but I think it's safe to say that the Great Vowel Shift was not in the picture.
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Map of the Niger River basin
Leo Africanus and the Description of Africa
Joannes Leo Africanus, (c. 1494 - c. 1554?) (or al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Wazzan al-Fasi, Arabic: حسن ابن محمد الوزان الفاسي) was an Andalusian Amazigh[1] Moorish diplomat and author who is best known for his book Descrittione dell’Africa (Description of Africa) describing the geography of North Africa.
Leo Africanus was born in Granada in around 1494 but his family moved to Fez soon after his birth. In Fez he studied at the University of Al Karaouine. As a young man he accompanied an uncle on a diplomatic mission to the Maghreb, reaching as far as the city of Timbuktu (c. 1510), then part of the Songhai Empire.
In 1517 when returning from a diplomatic mission to Constantinople on behalf of the Sultan of Fez Muhammad II he found himself in the port of Rosetta during the Ottoman conquest of Egypt. On his way back to Tunis in 1518 he was captured by Spanish corsairs.
He was taken to Rome and initially imprisoned in the Castel Sant’Angelo but when his captors realised his importance he was freed and presented to Pope Leo X. He was baptized in the Basilica of Saint Peter's in 1520.
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Leo Africanus left Rome and spent the next three or four years traveling in Italy. While staying in Bologna he wrote an Arabic-Hebrew-Latin medical vocabulary, of which only the Arabic part has survived, and a grammar of Arabic of which only an eight-page fragment has survived. He returned to Rome in 1526 under the protection of Pope Clement VII.
According to Leo, he completed his manuscript on African geography in the same year. The work was published in Italian with the title Della descrittione dell’Africa et delle cose notabili che iui sono, per Giovan Lioni Africano in 1550 by the Venetian publisher Giovanni Battista Ramusio. The book proved to be extremely popular and was reprinted five times. It was also translated into other languages.
Leo Africanus
Historical Texts and Usage
The 1600 English edition of A geographical historie of Africa is available. The riuer of Niger, running through the land of Negros, called of old (as Solinus* supposed) by the naturall inhabitants Astabus, and (according to Marmolius) Hued Nijar in the Arabian toung, is now esteemed by Paulus Ioui∣us to be Gambra, and by Cadamosta the riuer of Senaga; but that both of them are deceiued, it is euident out of the description of Sanutus, who putteth downe the two foresaid riuers seuerallie, and thinketh Niger to be that which is now called Rio grande.
This riuer taketh his beginning, as some thinke, out of a certain desert to the east, called Seu, or springeth rather out of a lake, and after a long race, falleth at length into the western Ocean.
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OVR authors affirme, that Africa is 〈◊〉 into fower partes, that is to say, Barbaria, Numidia, Libya, and the lande of Negros. The fourth part of Africa which is called the land of Negros, begin∣neth eastward at the kingdome of Gaoga, from whence it extendeth west as far as Gualata.
The north part thereof is inclosed with the desert of Libya, and the south part, which is vnknowen vnto vs, with the Ocean sea: howbeit the merchants which daily come from thence to the king∣dome of Tombuto, haue sufficiently described the situation of that coun∣trie vnto vs. This lande of Negros hath a mightie riuer, which taking his* name of the region, is called Niger: this riuer taketh his originall from the east out of a certaine desert called by the foresaide Negros Seu.
MOreouer, the land of Negros is diuided into many kingdomes: whereof albeit a great part be vnknowen vnto vs, and remooued farre out of our trade; we will notwithstanding make relation of those places, where we our selues haue aboad, and which by long ex∣perience are growne very familiar vnto vs: as likewise of some other places, from whence merchants vsed to trauell vnto the same cities wherein my selfe was then resident; from whom I learned right 〈◊〉 the state of their countries.
I* my selfe saw fifteene kingdoms of the Negros: howbeit there are many more, which although I saw not with mine owne eies, yet are they by the Negros sufficiently knowen and frequented. Their names therefore (beginning from the west, and so proceeding Eastward and Southward) are these following: Gualata, Ghinea, Melli, Tombuto, Gago, Guber, Agadez, Cano, Casena, Zegzeg, Zanfara, Guangara, Burno, Gaoga, Nube.
These fifteene kingdomes are for the most part situate vpon the riuer Niger, through the which merchants vsually trauell from Gualata to the citie of* Alcair in Egypt. The iour∣ney indeede is very long, but yet secure and voide of danger. All the said kingdomes adioine one vpon another; ten whereof are separated either by the riuer Niger, or by some sandie desert: and in times past each one of the fifteene had a seueral king, but now* at this present, they are all in a manner subiect vnto three kings onely: namely, to the king of Tombuto who is Lord of the greatest part; to the king of Borno, who gouerneth the least part, and the residue is in subiection vnto the king of Gaoga: howbeit he that possesseth the kingdome of Ducala hath a very small traine attending vpon him.
Pronunciation and Usage
Nigerian: Refers to a person or thing from Nigeria. The stress is on the second syllable: Ni-ge-ri-an.
Nigerien: Refers to a person or thing from Niger. The stress is also on the second syllable: Ni-ge-rien.
For both "Niger" and "Nigerien", the emphasis is on the second syllable, though with English speaking audiences this may lead to added confusion because the pronunciation sounds distinctly French. It seems unlikely that this is a strictly local thing as Niger has been a member of the UN since 1960.
The adjectival French "-ien" suffix makes "Nigerien" unique in English spelling and usage. In Italian and 16th-century Vatican Latin, a vowel represented by orthographic 'i' would certainly have been IPA [i]. On the other hand, niger gets initial stress, and the French were not involved in that part of the world at all until the 19th century and the Scramble for Africa, as far as I know. Finally, D.D. And, moreover, ain't it pretty unique to have "Nigerien"-with the adjectival French "-ien" suffix-as a standard English spelling/usage?
Confusion and Correct Usage
Since this is very easily confused, for example by my spelling checker which didn't like "Nigerien" at all, and especially in spoken English, is that use actually correct, or is there a better word? Yes, this usage is correct.
To avoid confusion, pay attention to the context and pronunciation. Emphasizing the second syllable in both words is crucial. When speaking, be mindful of the potential for misinterpretation and articulate clearly.
