Masai
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Language Information
Masai (Maasai, or Maa) is spoken in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, in and around the Great Rift Valley.
Masai belongs to the Eastern branch of the Nilotic languages and is closely related to Samburu and Camus of Kenya. It has about 1.5 million speakers. The Maasai are semi-nomadic cattle herders, well known for their traditional dress and customs, and many also speak Swahili and English. Masai is a tonal language, and unusually, its basic word order places the verb first in the sentence.
Masai belongs to the Eastern branch of the Nilotic languages and is closely related to Samburu and Camus of Kenya. It has about 1.5 million speakers. The Maasai are semi-nomadic cattle herders, well known for their traditional dress and customs, and many also speak Swahili and English. Masai is a tonal language, and unusually, its basic word order places the verb first in the sentence.
- Language Family
- Chari-Nile (Macro-Sudanic)
- Subgroup
- Eastern Sudanic
- Branch
- Nilotic (Eastern)
Masai Language Sample
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1
Maasai
Iyiolo iltung’anak pooki naa ketoiwuoki naa kenare enkishui o sipat. Naa kenare nikiyanyit irkulikae enaa ilalashera.English translation
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Source: OHCHR translations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights