Masaai
/məˈsaɪ/noun
A variant spelling of Maasai, referring to a Nilotic people of Kenya and Tanzania and their language.
Did you know?The Maasai are traditionally associated with Maa, a Southern Nilotic language, but scholars caution that the deeper original meaning of the ethnonym remains uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Maa
Maa
“The name of the language spoken by the Maasai and related communities; often associated with the idea of speaking Maa.”
19th Century
Swahili/European usage
Maasai
“An ethnonym used for the Maa-speaking pastoral people of East Africa.”
19th Century
English
Masai
“An established English spelling for the people and their language.”
20th Century
English
Maasai
“The now widely preferred English spelling for the ethnic group and its language.”
Modern English
English
Masaai
“A less common variant spelling of Maasai, referring to the same people or language.”
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