Nigeria (English)
Where does "Nigeria" come from?
The English place name 'Nigeria' was coined in 1897 by the British journalist Flora Shaw[1]. The word is formed from the name 'Niger' combined with the suffix '-ia'[1]. The underlying name 'Niger' has a complex history, with its spelling likely influenced by the Latin word 'niger' meaning 'black' through folk etymology[2]. Other potential origins for 'Niger' include Tuareg roots meaning 'river of rivers' or historical derivations stemming from ancient Greek, Roman, and Arab geographic misplacements[2].
Open questions
- The connection of Niger to Latin niger is considered a folk etymology, and other proposed derivations range from Tuareg roots to ancient geographic misplacements. [2]
Full etymology tree
- Nigeria (English), 'A country in West Africa, south of the country of Niger. Official name: Federal Republic of Nigeria. Capital: Abuja. Largest city: Lagos. Currency: naira (₦).'
- compound Niger (English), 'A country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria. Official name: Republic of the Niger.'
- influence niger (Latin), 'wan, shining black (as opposed to āter, dull black)'
- suffix -ia (English), 'Used in forming placenames, especially of countries.'
- compound Niger (English), 'A country in West Africa, situated to the north of Nigeria. Official name: Republic of the Niger.'
Ancestors
- Niger (English)
- -ia (English)
Descendants and derived words
- Nigerian (English)
- Nigerian (English)
- Niggeria (English)
- Nollywood (English)
- ナイジェリア (Japanese)
Sources
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris