ɔl Maa
Maasai
Nilo-Saharan (Eastern Nilotic, Maa)
Maasai (ɔl Maa) is the language of the Maasai people of the Great Rift Valley, with ~1.5M speakers in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. It is part of the Maa cluster of Eastern Nilotic languages (with Samburu and Camus). Has a complex tonal system (high vs. low with downstep), an inclusive/exclusive distinction in pronouns, three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter), and is famous for vocabulary and idiom reflecting the Maasai age-set system (l'arikoni "warriors", l'orpayieni "elders") and pastoralist cattle culture. The Maasai have remained largely culturally distinct despite Kenyan and Tanzanian state pressure.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Maasai
Water
ɛŋare
/ɛŋare/
Fire
ɛnkima
/ɛŋkima/
Sun
enkolong
/eŋkoloŋ/
Moon
olapa
/olapa/
Mother
yieyio
/jiejio/
Father
papa
/papa/
Eat
anya
/aɲa/
Drink
oŋg
/oŋɡ/
Love
eitalu
/eitalu/
Heart
oltau
/oltau/
Tree
olchani
/oltʃani/
House
eng'aji
/ɛŋadʒi/
Dog
oldia
/oldia/
Cat
paka
/paka/
Hand
ɛŋaina
/ɛŋaina/
Eye
ɛŋɔŋu
/ɛŋɔŋu/
Hello
sopa
/sopa/
Thank you
ashe
/aʃe/
One
obo
/obo/
Good
sidai
/sidai/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Nilo-Saharan (Eastern Nilotic, Maa) languages
| Meaning | Maasai | Samburu | Ateso | Bari | Malagasy | Nhanda | Hiri Motu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ɛŋare /ɛŋare/ | nkare /ŋkaɾe/ | akipi /akipi/ | piong /piɔŋ/ | rano /ɾanu/ | kapi /kapi/ | ranu /ɾanu/ |
| Fire | ɛnkima /ɛŋkima/ | nkima /ŋkima/ | akim /akim/ | kima /kima/ | afo /afu/ | warla /waɻla/ | lahi /lahi/ |
| Sun | enkolong /eŋkoloŋ/ | lakwa /lakʷa/ | akolong /akoloŋ/ | kolong /koloŋ/ | masoandro /masuandɾu/ | ngama /ŋama/ | dina /dina/ |
| Moon | olapa /olapa/ | lapa /lapa/ | elap /elap/ | nyepo /ɲepo/ | volana /vulana/ | kanyala /kaɲala/ | hua /hua/ |
| Mother | yieyio /jiejio/ | yieyo /jiejo/ | toto /toto/ | mama /mama/ | reny /ɾeni/ | ngamaji /ŋamadʒi/ | sina /sina/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | baba /baba/ | ray /ɾaj/ | kuthurra /kutʰuɻa/ | tama /tama/ |
| Eat | anya /aɲa/ | anya /aɲa/ | akinyam /akiɲam/ | nyo /ɲo/ | mihinana /mihinana/ | ngarna /ŋaɻna/ | ania /ania/ |
| Drink | oŋg /oŋɡ/ | oŋg /oŋɡ/ | akimat /akimat/ | mwoi /mwoi/ | misotro /misutɾu/ | nyuna /ɲuna/ | inua /inua/ |
| Love | eitalu /eitalu/ | eitalu /eitalu/ | akimina /akimina/ | ondu /ondu/ | fitiavana /fitiavana/ | kanyji /kaɲdʒi/ | lalokau /lalokau/ |
| Heart | oltau /oltau/ | ltau /ltau/ | etau /etau/ | lo /lo/ | fo /fu/ | pulpara /pulpaɻa/ | kudouna /kudouna/ |
| Tree | olchani /oltʃani/ | lchani /ltʃani/ | ekitoi /ekitoi/ | kute /kute/ | hazo /hazu/ | parntany /paɳʈaɲ/ | au /au/ |
| House | eng'aji /ɛŋadʒi/ | nkang /ŋkaŋ/ | ekal /ekal/ | kadi /kadi/ | trano /tɾanu/ | nhurra /ɳuɻa/ | ruma /ɾuma/ |
| Dog | oldia /oldia/ | ldia /ldia/ | ekingok /ekiŋɡok/ | ngoʼlo /ŋoʔlo/ | alika /alika/ | kuwiyarl /kuwijaɻl/ | sisia /sisia/ |
| Cat | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | ekapa /ekapa/ | lupa /lupa/ | saka /saka/ | paka /paka/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Hand | ɛŋaina /ɛŋaina/ | nkaina /ŋkaina/ | akan /akan/ | kindiyo /kindijo/ | tanana /tanana/ | mara /maɻa/ | imana /imana/ |
| Eye | ɛŋɔŋu /ɛŋɔŋu/ | nkoŋu /ŋkoŋu/ | akongu /akoŋɡu/ | kongi /koŋɡi/ | maso /masu/ | kuru /kuɻu/ | matana /matana/ |
| Hello | sopa /sopa/ | sopa /sopa/ | yoga /joɡa/ | gwon /ɡwon/ | manao ahoana /manau ahuana/ | palya /paʎa/ | namona /namona/ |
| Thank you | ashe /aʃe/ | ashe /aʃe/ | eyalama /ejalama/ | mungari /muŋɡari/ | misaotra /misautɾa/ | marlu /maɻlu/ | tanikiu /tanikiu/ |
| One | obo /obo/ | obo /obo/ | ediopet /ediopet/ | kelo /kelo/ | iray /iɾaj/ | kuyu /kuju/ | ta /ta/ |
| Good | sidai /sidai/ | supat /supat/ | ejok /edʒok/ | ru /ru/ | tsara /tsaɾa/ | walykumarra /waʎkumaɻa/ | namo /namo/ |
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