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
31 core words in Maasai
Water
ɛŋare
/ɛŋare/
Fire
ɛnkima
/ɛŋkima/
Sun
enkolong
/eŋkoloŋ/
Moon
olapa
/olapa/
Star
olakira
/olakira/
Mother
yieyio
/jiejio/
Father
papa
/papa/
I
nanʉ
/nanʊ/
You
iyie
/ijie/
Name
enkarna
/eŋkarna/
Eye
ɛŋɔŋu
/ɛŋɔŋu/
Hand
ɛŋaina
/ɛŋaina/
Heart
oltau
/oltau/
Love
eitalu
/eitalu/
Tree
olchani
/oltʃani/
House
eng'aji
/ɛŋadʒi/
Dog
oldia
/oldia/
Cat
paka
/paka/
Eat
anya
/aɲa/
Drink
oŋg
/oŋɡ/
One
obo
/obo/
Two
aare
/aːre/
Hello
sopa
/sopa/
Thank you
ashe
/aʃe/
Good
sidai
/sidai/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Nilo-Saharan (Eastern Nilotic, Maa) languages
| Meaning | Maasai | Samburu | Ateso | Bari | Malagasy | Fijian | Hiri Motu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ɛŋare /ɛŋare/ | nkare /ŋkaɾe/ | akipi /akipi/ | piong /piɔŋ/ | rano /ɾanu/ | wai /wai/ | ranu /ɾanu/ |
| Fire | ɛnkima /ɛŋkima/ | nkima /ŋkima/ | akim /akim/ | kima /kima/ | afo /afu/ | buka /mbuka/ | lahi /lahi/ |
| Sun | enkolong /eŋkoloŋ/ | lakwa /lakʷa/ | akolong /akoloŋ/ | kolong /koloŋ/ | masoandro /masuandɾu/ | matanisiga /matanisiŋa/ | dina /dina/ |
| Moon | olapa /olapa/ | lapa /lapa/ | elap /elap/ | nyepo /ɲepo/ | volana /vulana/ | vula /βula/ | hua /hua/ |
| Star | olakira /olakira/ | lakira /lakira/ | akoloit /akoloit/ | toŋ /toŋ/ | kintana /ˈkintana/ | kalokalo /kalokalo/ | hisiu /hisiu/ |
| Mother | yieyio /jiejio/ | yieyo /jiejo/ | toto /toto/ | mama /mama/ | reny /ɾeni/ | tina /tina/ | sina /sina/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | baba /baba/ | ray /ɾaj/ | tama /tama/ | tama /tama/ |
| I | nanʉ /nanʊ/ | nanu /nanʊ/ | eong /eɔŋ/ | nan /nan/ | aho /ˈahu/ | au /au/ | lau /lau/ |
| You | iyie /ijie/ | iye /ije/ | ijo /idʒo/ | do /do/ | ianao /iaˈnaw/ | iko /iko/ | oi /oi/ |
| Name | enkarna /eŋkarna/ | nkarna /ŋkarna/ | ekiror /ekiror/ | karin /karin/ | anarana /aˈnarana/ | yaca /jaða/ | ladana /laˈdana/ |
| Eye | ɛŋɔŋu /ɛŋɔŋu/ | nkoŋu /ŋkoŋu/ | akongu /akoŋɡu/ | kongi /koŋɡi/ | maso /masu/ | mata /mata/ | matana /matana/ |
| Hand | ɛŋaina /ɛŋaina/ | nkaina /ŋkaina/ | akan /akan/ | kindiyo /kindijo/ | tanana /tanana/ | liga /liŋa/ | ima /ima/ |
| Heart | oltau /oltau/ | ltau /ltau/ | etau /etau/ | lo /lo/ | fo /fu/ | uto /uto/ | kudouna /kudouna/ |
| Love | eitalu /eitalu/ | eitalu /eitalu/ | akimina /akimina/ | ondu /ondu/ | fitiavana /fitiavana/ | loloma /loloma/ | lalokau /lalokau/ |
| Tree | olchani /oltʃani/ | lchani /ltʃani/ | ekitoi /ekitoi/ | kute /kute/ | hazo /hazu/ | kau /kau/ | au /au/ |
| House | eng'aji /ɛŋadʒi/ | nkang /ŋkaŋ/ | ekal /ekal/ | kadi /kadi/ | trano /tɾanu/ | vale /βale/ | ruma /ɾuma/ |
| Dog | oldia /oldia/ | ldia /ldia/ | ekingok /ekiŋɡok/ | ngoʼlo /ŋoʔlo/ | alika /alika/ | koli /koli/ | sisia /sisia/ |
| Cat | paka /paka/ | paka /paka/ | ekapa /ekapa/ | lupa /lupa/ | saka /saka/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Eat | anya /aɲa/ | anya /aɲa/ | akinyam /akiɲam/ | nyo /ɲo/ | mihinana /mihinana/ | kana /kana/ | ania /ania/ |
| Drink | oŋg /oŋɡ/ | oŋg /oŋɡ/ | akimat /akimat/ | mwoi /mwoi/ | misotro /misutɾu/ | gunu /ŋunu/ | inua /inua/ |
| One | obo /obo/ | obo /obo/ | ediopet /ediopet/ | kelo /kelo/ | iray /iɾaj/ | dua /ndua/ | ta /ta/ |
| Two | aare /aːre/ | aare /aːre/ | iarei /iarei/ | ŋaba /ŋaba/ | roa /ˈrua/ | rua /rua/ | rua /rua/ |
| Hello | sopa /sopa/ | sopa /sopa/ | yoga /joɡa/ | gwon /ɡwon/ | manao ahoana /manau ahuana/ | bula /mbula/ | namona /namona/ |
| Thank you | ashe /aʃe/ | ashe /aʃe/ | eyalama /ejalama/ | mungari /muŋɡari/ | misaotra /misautɾa/ | vinaka /βinaka/ | tanikiu /tanikiu/ |
| Good | sidai /sidai/ | supat /supat/ | ejok /edʒok/ | ru /ru/ | tsara /tsaɾa/ | vinaka /βinaka/ | namo /namo/ |
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