Maasai Language Project

The Language-and-Culture Link

There is inevitably an intimate connection between any culture and its associated language:

Culture is transmitted from one generation to the next via language.
The lexicon (words) of a language express concepts central to the culture.
Associations between words often reveal conceptual networks specific to that culture (often complicating issues in translation from one language to another).

The family picture to the right is emblematic of many changes currently taking place in Maasai culture. Traditional Maasai life is impacted by major cities like Nairobi, which are located in what was traditional Maasai grazing land, and by tourists, western education, commerce, modern entertainment, national land policies, etc. Cultural cohesiveness is also affected by geographical distribution of people who speak the Maa language. As seen on the map below, the Maa language is spoken in at least two dis-continuous areas of Kenya and Tanzania and the traditional grazing lands of the Maasai are intersected by the international Kenya-Tanzania border.

Altogether, the traditional Maasai lifestyle is under pressure to change rapidly. As socio-cultural changes occur, the language is also facing the probability of considerable change. To help document the language and Maasai culture (both traditional and modern), we are working on cross-dialect lexicographic (dictionary) and text data bases of the Maa (Maasai) language. The lexicography data base currently includes over 3,000 entries. Funding permitting, we plan to include a minimum of three dialects and about 5,000 entries.

The Maasai (Maa) Language

Maa (Maasai) Online Dictionary (2005 version)

Text Data Base

Maasai Culture and Current Challenges (this links to a distinct site)

Researchers
The Maasai language project has proceeded via the work of numerous individuals. The primary researchers and research assistants have included (but are not limited to) Doris Payne (Project Director), Mitsuyo Hamaya, Philip Ole-Koitelel, Leonard Ole-Kotikash, Keswe Ole-Mapena, Kimeli Ole-Naiyomah, Daniel Ole-Nalangu, Vincent Ole-Konchellah, Kent Rasmussen, Renoi and Morompi Ole-Ronkei, Cynthia Schneider, Siri Lamoureaux, Sarah Tukuoo, Tyler D. Graham, Aurora Lee, David Young, and Colleen Ahland. In addition, numerous other Maasai individuals have graciously given of their time to help us study the language.

Research Support
This lexicography and text project has been partially supported by the assistance of the Maasai Cultural Center-Kenya, the Maasai Cultural Center-USA, local institution support of the University of Nairobi and the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology; logistical, technical, and other assistance from SIL-International and numerous colleagues in Kenya. Specific financial support has come from a Fulbright Foundation grant (1993-1994) to Doris L. Payne, a State of Oregon Global Graduates award to Cynthia Schneider (1998), and NSF grants SBR-9616482 (1987-1999) and SBR-9809387 (1998-ff) to Doris Payne and the University of Oregon.

University of Oregon.

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These pages written by Doris L. Payne. Last updated March 2007.