16th edition

US$ 100.00

Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Africa > Kenya > Maasai

Maasai

A language of Kenya

ISO 639-3: mas

Population	590,000 in Kenya, increasing. Population total all countries: 1,045,000.
Region	Rift Valley Province, Kajiado and Narok districts. Also in Tanzania.
Language map	Kenya, reference number 30
Alternate names	Masai
Dialects	Kaputiei, Keekonyokie, Matapo, Laitokitok, Iloodokilani, Damat, Purko, Loitai, Siria, Moitanik (Wuasinkishu), Kore, Arusa (Arusha), Parakuyo (Baraguyu, Kwavi), Kisonko. Arusha is distinct from the Bantu Chaga-related variety. Reportedly Arusha, who are pastoralists, dress like Maasai and speak a Maasai-related variety; whereas, agriculturalists intermarry with the Chaga. Other sources say the Arusha originally spoke a Bantu language. Lexical similarity: 82%–86% between Kenya and Tanzania dialects. Purko has 91%–96% lexical similarity with other Kenya dialects, 82% with Baraguyu, 86% with Arusa, 77%–89% with Samburu [saq], 82%–89% with Chamus [saq], 60% with Ngasa [nsg] (Ongamo).
Classification	Nilo-Saharan, Eastern Sudanic, Nilotic, Eastern, Lotuxo-Teso, Lotuxo-Maa, Ongamo-Maa
Language use	The Kore dialect now speak Somali [som] as L1. Home, community. All ages. Positive attitude. Also use Kiswahili [swh] or English.
Language development	Literacy rate in L1: Below 10%. Literacy rate in L2: 30%. Taught in primary schools. Bible: 1991.
Writing system	Latin script.
Comments	Seminomadic. Purko is the largest dialect in Kenya and centrally located. VSO. Pastoralists: cattle, goats; agriculturalists. Traditional religion, Christian.

Also spoken in:

Tanzania

Language name	Maasai
Population	455,000 in Tanzania (2006). 170,000 Arusa, 30,000 Baraguyu (1987).
Region	North central, on Kenya border, east of Serengeti National Park. Baraguyu from Indian Ocean nearly to Malawi.
Language map	Tanzania, reference number 42
Alternate names	Kimaasai, Lumbwa, Maa, Masai
Dialects	Arusha (Il-Arusha, L-Arusha), Parakuyo (Baraguyu, Kwavi), Kisonko.
Language use	Vigorous. The Baraguyu speak Maasai, but consider themselves a separate ethnic group from the Maasai. Also use Swahili [swh].
Comments	Nomadic. Patrilineal. Some men marry women from other language groups. Pastoralists: cattle, sheep, goats; agriculturalists. Traditional religion, Christian. Arusha: Traditional religion, Christian.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

ASHDOWN, Shelley Gay, author. 2001. The foundational nature of self in Ndorobo world view.

BARSHI, Immanuel; PAYNE, Doris L., authors. 1996. "The interpretation of "possessor raising" in a Maasai dialect."

BARSHI, Immanuel; PAYNE, Doris L., authors. 1998. "Argument structure and Maasai possessive interpretation: implications for language learning."

GUION, Susan G.; PAYNE, Doris L.; POST, Mark W., authors. 2004. "Phonetic correlates of tongue root vowel contrasts in Maa."

HAMAYA, Mitsuyo; JACOBS, Peter; PAYNE, Doris L., authors. 1994. "Active, inverse and passive in Maasai."

LEKEMPE, Moses; LENTOROR, Stephen; NALANGU, Daniel; OLE-KIRISUAH, Josiah; OLE-KOTIKASH, Leonard; OLE-LEKUTIT, A. Keswe Mapena; OLE-NAIYOMAH, Kimeli; OLE-RONKEI, Morompi; OLE-RONKEI, Renoi; PAYNE, Doris L.; TUKUOO, Sarah, authors. Available: 2008-; Created: 1993-2008. Maa language project: Kenyan Southern Maasai, Samburu.  

OLE-KOTIKASH, Leonard; OLE-LEKUTIT, A. Keswe Mapena; PAYNE, Doris L., authors. 2001. "A frame semantics approach to lexemic structure: uncovering the truth abut Maa a-síp."

OLE-KOTIKASH, Leonard; PAYNE, Doris L., authors. 2005-. Maa (Maasai) online dictionary.  

PAYNE, Doris L., author. 1995. "Verb initial languages and information order."

PAYNE, Doris L., author. 1995. Review of: Aspekt im Maa, by Christa Konig.

PAYNE, Doris L., author. 1997. "Argument structure and locus of affect in the Maasai external possession construction."

PAYNE, Doris L., author. 1997. "The Maasai external possessor construction."

PAYNE, Doris L., author. 1998. "Maasai gender in typological perspective."

PAYNE, Doris L., author. 2001. "How to develop a new intransitive: the story of Maa "sip" "make smooth, lick clean, bless, kill, tell the truth", and "be certain"."

PAYNE, Doris L., author. 2003. "Maa color terms and their use as human descriptors."

PAYNE, Doris L., author. 2004. "Functions of Maa 'peê' + low tone: a case study of discourse-driven polysemy."

SIM, Ronald J., author. 1980. A sociolinguistic profile of Maasai-Samburu-Ilchamus languages.