niger
niger Lexical Profile
• noun
A landlocked country located in West Africa, named after the Niger River, bordered by Libya, Chad, Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Algeria.
The principal river of West Africa, extending about 4,180 kilometers and flowing through Guinea, Mali, Niger, on the border with Benin, and then through Nigeria.
A small, black, oil-rich seed produced by an African yellow daisy (Guizotia abyssinica), widely cultivated in Ethiopia and India and commonly used internationally as birdseed.
"We filled the specialized tube feeder with niger to attract the goldfinches to our backyard."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to the country, the demonym is 'Nigerien' (often pronounced with a French influence), which must be distinguished from 'Nigerian' (relating to neighboring Nigeria). The seed is frequently marketed under the phonetic spelling 'nyjer'.
• Rhymes for niger
Word Origin & Etymology
The name of the river (and subsequently the country) likely derives from the Tuareg phrase 'n'eghirren' meaning 'flowing water', which was later altered by association with the Latin 'niger' meaning 'black'. The agricultural seed's name comes directly from the Latin 'niger' due to its black color.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.