Benue
/bəˈnuː/noun
A major river of West Africa, rising in Cameroon and flowing through Nigeria into the Niger River.
Did you know?Benue is a geographical proper name rather than an ordinary English word, and its original Indigenous-language meaning remains debated in reference works.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Batta
Binuwe
“A form traditionally associated with the river’s Indigenous name; proposed interpretations include “mother of waters,” though the analysis is uncertain.”
19th Century
European usage
Benue
“A colonial-era transcription of the river’s regional name.”
19th Century
English
Benue River
“The name used in English geographical writing for the major tributary of the Niger.”
20th Century
English
Benue
“A standardized geographical name for the river and, later, Nigeria’s Benue State.”
Modern English
English
Benue
“A proper noun referring primarily to the river, its basin, or Benue State in Nigeria.”