Nigerien

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to the West African country of Niger, its people, language, or culture
2. Describing something that comes from, belongs to, or is characteristic of the Republic of Niger in West Africa
3. Pertaining to the nation of Niger or to the people who live there and their traditions

Etymology: The word is a straightforward formation: French "nigérien" is built from "Niger", the West African country (and the river it takes its name from), plus the suffix "-ien", which forms adjectives and nouns meaning "of or relating to" a place. English took it from French, so "nigerien" simply means "of Niger" or "a native of Niger." The pattern is an old and productive one. Many national and regional names in English follow the same logic, with "-ian", "-ian" variants, or "-ien" in French, attached to a place name to produce an adjective for its people or things. Here the base is a name that itself gained its modern shape in the colonial era, when the territory was drawn and named as a French colony, so the word belongs to the vocabulary of the country's independent identity rather than to any older history.