Masai
/ˈmɑː.saɪ/noun
A member of an East African pastoralist people living mainly in Kenya and Tanzania, also spelled Maasai.
Did you know?The community’s own language is called Maa, while “Maasai” is an English and Swahili form of the ethnonym; the name’s deeper origin remains debated rather than securely translated.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Maa
Maa
“The Southern Nilotic language spoken by the Maasai and closely related communities; often connected with the ethnonym, though the precise derivation is debated.”
19th Century
Swahili
Masaai
“The Swahili ethnonym for the Maasai people, adopted during regional trade and contact.”
19th Century
European travel writing
Masai
“A transcription used by European explorers and colonial writers for the East African people.”
Late 19th–20th Century
English
Masai
“An English noun and adjective referring to the people, their language, or their culture.”
Modern English
English
Masai / Maasai
“A recognized ethnonym, with “Maasai” now common in scholarly and community usage.”