Nuer

noun

Nu·​er ˈnü-ər How to pronounce Nuer (audio)
plural Nuer
1
: a member of a Nilotic people of southern Sudan
2
: the language of the Nuer people

Examples of Nuer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The power struggle in South Sudan between President Salva Kiir, a Dinka, and Vice President Riek Machar, a Nuer, took on an ethnic dimension during the civil war. — Sam Mednick, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2023 In the mission in Cyprus, for example, few peacekeepers speak Greek or Turkish; the same is true for Arabic or Nuer in South Sudan, Albanian or Serbo-Croatian in Kosovo, and French or Haitian Creole in Haiti. — Séverine Autesserre, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2018

Word History

Etymology

probably ultimately from Nuer naað, a self-designation

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Nuer was in 1861

Browse Nearby Words

Nueces
Nuer
Nuevo Laredo
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nuer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Nuer. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Nuer

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Nuer

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