Nuer
/ˈnuːər/noun
A member of a Nilotic people of South Sudan and adjoining regions, or the language spoken by them.
Did you know?“Nuer” is an exonym: the people commonly known by this English name traditionally refer to themselves as Naath, meaning “human beings” or “people.”
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Nuer
Naath
“The Nuer self-designation, commonly translated as “human beings” or “people.””
19th Century
Dinka/Nuer
Nuer
“An external designation used in the region; its precise original meaning and source remain debated.”
19th Century
Arabic/European usage
Nuer
“The name appears in travel, administrative, and ethnographic descriptions of the people of the Upper Nile.”
20th Century
English
Nuer
“An established English ethnonym for the people, and a name for their closely related language.”
Modern English
English
Nuer
“A member of the Nuer people or the Nuer language of South Sudan and neighboring areas.”